Healthify Me! Healthified Spaghetti Bolognese and Meatballs

Yum…..Spaghetti and Meatballs.

Put this on the table and most people come running! We grew up eating my mom’s spaghetti sauce – so rich and meaty, I love it when we pop over and she happens to be cooking that. I have to say it isn’t very authentic and does rely on some jarred products that have added sugars and preservatives. Also, she serves it over white pasta (I haven’t been able to convert them to the healthified life…. I try though). I do remember going to a little Italian place in downtown Tacoma when I was growing up. The place was run by a little Italian Grandma and when you walked in the restaurant you could smell meat that had been browning all day long – everything went into the sauce. Every bit of leftover meat or bone was browned with onions, garlic, carrots, celery and then the crushed tomatoes and herbs – it cooked all day long and got better and better. It was amazing! This was my first taste of authentic Italian food.

Spaghetti Bolognese and meatballs are for me, comfort food. When I set out on my journey to get healthy I still wanted to be able to enjoy this meal often, so I “healthified” it! I NEVER order this when I go to a restaurant though, I have to say I am almost always disappointed. I like mine better. In fact, this is a statement made by one of my personal chef clients years ago when I made this meal for him: “Your spaghetti and meatballs are the best I have ever tasted in my life” (Organic and lean meatballs, whole wheat pasta and fresh marinara sauce). I can’t claim they’ll be the best you’ve ever tasted in your entire life, but I think they are!

I replace the meat with either 95% lean grass fed ground beef or 93% lean ground turkey. If you want to be authentic you can go for a ground beef/veal/pork combination – hey, this does have it’s place. If I’m going to entertain friends with this meal and we all eat healthy the rest of the time I see nothing wrong with going for the gusto and living it up. I still serve whole grain pasta though and a side of steamed spaghetti squash for those of us who don’t tolerate gluten well.  During the week if we’re eating this I serve it with a big salad on the side and I always feel great about serving it to my family.

I am going to give you the recipes for the meatballs (which are tender, flavorful and delicious), the Bolognese sauce recipe and then my tomato sauce I typically serve with the meatballs. Three recipes here folks! You can go all out and make the meatballs with the Bolognese if you want – it is a lot of meat though so definitely cut back on the meatballs!

The key to great sauce – without sugar like a lot of homemade recipes have you do (and why a lot of jarred sauces have corn syrup and sugar): Brown your vegetables and toast your spices along with them before deglazing and adding the tomato products. This will make a world of difference in your sauce. It develops a depth of flavor and allows the natural sugars in the vegetables to make the sauce a nice balance of sweet and tangy (tomatoes are typically a bit acidic and need a balance).

Make this gluten free by substituting spaghetti squash and/or gluten free pasta.  This is how I eat mine.

I had a GREAT video for this recipe – it got erased. I’ll do my best to describe it the best as I can!

Healthified Meatballs

Serves 4-6

1 tsp healthy oil/fat of your choice

1 carrot, grated or minced

1 onion, minced

1 stalk celery, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

Saute the vegetables over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside in a large bowl to cool slightly. Add:

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup oats (regular)

2 big pinches Kosher/sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan (optional – but I highly recommend)

1 lb – 20 oz ground meat of your choice (lean ground grass fed organic beef, lean ground turkey, etc.)

Start mixing the meat mixture with a large wooden spoon until the mixture gets evenly distributed. Switch to your hands next – gently fold the mixture until well incorporated. DO NOT OVERMIX. You want tender meat balls, not tough. Form the meatballs into balls about the size of golf balls. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, when hot add 2 Tb healthy oil/fat of your choice, swirl around the pan. Add the meatballs and let them brown on the first side before flipping. Brown on the other side  and if they get sort of out of shape brown on other sides. Don’t worry about having them look perfect. Remove them from the pan and set aside while you make your sauce of choice. They will finish cooking in the sauce. *At this point you can cool and freeze the meatballs – you can make a double batch and with not much more trouble get another dinner ready in the freezer! Double the sauce too, freeze half and you can have a quick meal ready for a busy night. 

Healthified Bolognese Sauce

Serves 4-6

2 Tb healthy oil/fat of your choice

1 carrot, minced

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, minced

1 lb – 20 oz ground meat of your choice (lean ground grass fed organic beef, lean ground turkey, etc.)

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried basil

2 big pinches Kosher/sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes – optional but Bolognese typically has a kick

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. When hot add the oil, swirl around the pan. Add the ingredients above, allowing them to get nice and brown, toasting the herbs and bringing out the natural sweetness of the vegetables. When they are beginning to brown add:

3-5 cloves garlic, minced

Cook another 3 minutes. Add

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup crushed tomatoes (canned or fresh)

Stir and simmer, allow all of the moisture to almost completely evaporate away. Lower the heat to medium, add

1 cup milk (I use 1% organic, use what you have)

When the sauce comes to a simmer lower the heat to low and let it cook about 10 minutes. You can add your meatballs if you’re using them in this sauce to finish cooking. Just before serving add:

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Serve and enjoy! If you’re serving with pasta I recommend adding the pasta to the sauce with 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water 1 minute before the pasta is done cooking. Let it simmer in the sauce for one minute then serve.

Healthified Sweet & Savory  Traditional Spaghetti Ragu (with or without meat – make without meat if you’ll be adding the meatballs)

Serves 4-6

2 Tb healthy oil/fat of your choice

1 carrot, minced

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, minced

1 red bell pepper, minced – optional

OPTIONAL: If making meat sauce with no meatballs: 1 lb – 20 oz ground meat of your choice (lean ground grass fed organic beef, lean ground turkey, etc.)

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried basil

2 big pinches Kosher/sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes – optional but Bolognese typically has a kick

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. When hot add the oil, swirl around the pan. Add the ingredients above, allowing them to get nice and brown, toasting the herbs and bringing out the natural sweetness of the vegetables. When they are beginning to brown add:

3-5 cloves garlic, minced

Cook another 3 minutes. Add

1/4 cup red wine

Stir and simmer, allow all of the moisture to almost completely evaporate away. Lower the heat to medium, add

28 oz crushed tomatoes (canned or fresh)

When the sauce comes to a simmer lower the heat to low and let it cook about 10 minutes. You can add your meatballs if you’re using them in this sauce to finish cooking. Just before serving add:

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Serve and enjoy! If you’re serving with pasta I recommend adding the pasta to the sauce with 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water 1 minute before the pasta is done cooking. Let it simmer in the sauce for one minute then serve.

Cheers, may your day be delicious! 

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