This Healthy Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles is a nourishing twist on a classic Italian comfort food dish! The meaty sauce is flavorful, protein-packed and filled with hidden veggies. Plus, you don’t need any pork, pancetta or wine for this recipe. It’s the best hearty yet healthy dinner that everyone will love!
I’m not sure what prompted me to make bolognese on a warm day in June but it turned out to be a good decision. And hey, bolognese suddenly becomes a summer dish when you serve it over in-season zucchini noodles right!? At least that’s what I’m telling myself.
Bolognese is one of my long-time favorite Italian dishes that I always seem tempted to order when it’s on the menu. It felt intimidating to make at home so I didn’t really do it! But in the process of developing this Healthy Bolognese recipe, I realized it really isn’t that hard…it just requires a bit of pre-planning and patience.
Now, I can have bolognese at home whenever I want 🙂 And my healthy version is loaded with hidden veggies, is made without wine or pork and can be served over zucchini noodles for a lighter, more nourishing option! Plus, you can control the quality of the ingredients that go in – using grass-fed beef and milk/cream if that’s your thing!
Why You’ll Love this Healthy Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles
- It’s a healthier version of a classic Italian comfort food dish!
- This dish is easy to make, with most of the cook time being passive.
- This healthy bolognese is filled with a ton of hidden veggies.
- It’s naturally gluten free by serving it over zucchini noodles, and can easily be made dairy free.
- This bolognese recipe is made without red wine, pork or pancetta.
- It makes for great leftovers to enjoy for lunch throughout the week!
What You Need to Make this Healthy Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles
- Avocado Oil: Always my go-to, high smoke point oil for sautéing and searing!
- Ground Beef: Keeping it simple here and using 1 lb of 85% lean ground beef – no mix of beef and pork in this recipe! You can substitute 93% ground turkey if you want.
- Yellow Onion: 1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced.
- Carrots: Be sure to peel them before finely dicing. This adds veggies and a tiny hint of natural sweetness to the healthy bolognese.
- Celery: More veggies…can’t complain about that!
- Garlic: 3 large cloves…or as much as your heart desires 😉
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste adds acidity and depth of flavor to this Bolognese.
- Crushed Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes make up the body of this sauce. If you can’t find any, feel free to use tomato puree which has a smoother consistency.
- Beef Bone Broth: To thin out the sauce we are using beef bone broth which has more nutrients and protein than normal broth. But, normal beef broth or even water would work as a substitute.
- Bay Leaves: This is an optional aromatic. Be sure to remove it after simmering!
- Parmesan Rind: Another optional ingredient that will add a bit of salty, cheesy flavor. It shouldn’t melt but it will get soft, and then removed before eating.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: Season to taste throughout the cook time!
- Whole Milk: To add some richness, finish off this healthy bolognese with a bit of whole milk and heavy cream.
- Heavy Cream: If you want a lighter option, you can simply do more whole milk (or your milk of choice).
- Zucchinis: I like serving this over zucchini noodles for a healthy option. Either buy some large zucchinis and spiralize them yourself or get some pre-packaged zoodles in the produce or freezer section of your grocery store!
How To Make this Healthy Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles
Sauté the Mirepoix:
First, bring a large pot or dutch-oven to medium heat. Once hot, add avocado oil. Then add onion, carrots and celery and season with salt & pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes or until the onion is turning translucent and veggies are getting tender.
Brown the Ground Beef:
Next, add in the ground beef and use a spatula to break it into small pieces. Continue to cook until the beef is browned. Then, add in the garlic and season with more salt & pepper. Stir, and cook for 1 more minute.
Add Tomatoes and Broth and Let Simmer:
Then, reduce heat to a simmer. Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, beef bone broth, bay leaves, and parmesan rind if using. Stir to incorporate, then cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for 2 hours – the longer, the better! Every so often, open the lid, stir and make sure it’s not bubbling too much – if so, turn down the heat.
Finish off with Milk & Cream:
Finally, after the bolognese has simmered for at least 2 hours, remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind. Then, pour in the heavy cream and milk. Stir to combine and let it warm up. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.
Lastly, heavily salt your zucchini noodles and place them onto a paper towel lined plate for at least 10 minutes. This will help draw excess moisture out. Then, ladle some of the bolognese sauce over the zucchini noodles and top with fresh grated parmesan. Enjoy!
What Makes this Bolognese Healthier than Normal?
Everyone has their own definition of healthy but this meal is full of tons of micro and macro nutrients so that’s a win for me! But anyways, this Healthy Bolognese differs from traditional bolognese in a few ways: 1) it uses ground beef only, and not a mix of ground beef and ground pork, 2) there’s no red wine, 3) it’s made without pancetta and 4) there’s more hidden veggies.
Do I Really Have to Simmer this Healthy Bolognese for 2 Hours?
Okay here’s the thing…you can definitely expedite the cooking time for this Healthy Bolognese, but you’re going to be sacrificing flavor and tenderness as a result. One of the key elements of bolognese is slow cooking to allow the flavors to meld together and intensify. Two hours is honestly on the shorter end of suggested cooking time for a traditional bolognese but that’s what felt reasonable for me!
If you’re in a rush, try reducing the simmer time to 30 minutes but no less. Or just save this recipe for the weekend or a special occasion! I promise it’s worth the wait and you’ll definitely have leftovers.
Can I Make this Healthy Bolognese Dairy Free?
You bet! It’s really easy to make this Healthy Bolognese dairy free. Simply omit the parmesan rind (and parmesan on top) and swap in dairy-free milk and/or a heavy cream alternative.
Make sure to use a dairy-free milk that’s unsweetened and unflavored such as almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk or even full-fat canned coconut milk. As for heavy cream alternatives, I like the Trader Joe’s one or Country Crock Plant Cream.
Can I Use Ground Turkey Instead of Ground Beef?
Of course! If you don’t eat red meat or are looking for an even leaner option, you can certainly swap in 1 lb of ground turkey. I hesitate to recommend 99% lean ground turkey in any of my recipes because quite frankly it’s just…dry. So, definitely opt for 93% lean.
What Should I Serve with this Healthy Bolognese?
I personally like to serve this Healthy Bolognese with some zucchini noodles (AKA noodles) for a lower-carb, higher veggie option! This also makes it feel way more “summery” since zucchinis are in season.
However, this Healthy Bolognese would also be delicious served the classic way – over some pasta…spaghetti, linguine, pappardelle, the options are endless! If you’re looking for some “healthier” brands of pasta, try out Banza (chickpea pasta) or Jovial.
Either way, be sure to garnish with some grated parmesan and fresh cracked black pepper. I must say it’s also awesome to use a slice of fresh sourdough to soak up all of the leftover sauce at the end 😉
How Do I Cook Zucchini Noodles?
Honestly, I prefer to enjoy them raw! Zucchini noodles cook really quickly so they’re prone to getting mushy. However, if you just ladle the hot bolognese sauce over the raw zucchini noodles, the residual heat will lightly cook the zucchini so that it’s the perfect texture.
One little tip is to heavily salt your zucchini noodles and let them sit on a paper towel lined plate for at least 10 minutes before using them in a recipe. This will draw out some of the excess moisture! Even with this hack, you may notice that there is some liquid pooling up in your bowl after adding the bolognese on top – if that’s the case you can drain it off or just stir it in and enjoy!
How Should I Store Leftover Healthy Bolognese?
Although this recipe is a little time consuming, it luckily makes a lot so you are bound to have some yummy leftovers that you can enjoy for lunch the next day! First, let the Healthy Bolognese cool down and then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s delicious eaten both hot and cold. In terms of serving, I would recommend waiting to spiralize your zucchini (or cook your pasta) until the day of.
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for more Healthy Comfort Food Recipes?
- Gluten Free Pasta Bake with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- High-Protein Spinach and Artichoke Chicken Casserole
- The BEST Ground Turkey Enchilada Skillet
- High-Protein Stuffed Shells
Healthy Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles
Equipment
- large pot with lid
- spatula
- spiralizer
- large plate
- paper towels
Ingredients
- ½ tbsp avocado oil
- 1 lb ground beef (I used 85% lean)*
- ½ large yellow onion finely diced
- 2 carrots peeled & finely diced
- 2 celery stalks finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 24 oz crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup beef bone broth (or normal beef broth)
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
- 1 parmesan rind (optional, if you have it on hand!)
- kosher salt & black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream (or additional whole milk)
For Serving:
- 3-4 large zucchinis spiralized**
- grated parmesan
Instructions
- Bring a large pot or dutch-oven to medium heat. Once hot, add avocado oil. Then add onion, carrots and celery and season with salt & pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes or until the onion is turning translucent and veggies are getting tender.½ tbsp avocado oil, ½ large yellow onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, kosher salt & black pepper
- Add in the ground beef and use a spatula to break it into small pieces. Continue to cook until the beef is browned. Then, add in the garlic and season with more salt & pepper. Stir, and cook for 1 more minute.1 lb ground beef, 3 garlic cloves, kosher salt & black pepper
- Reduce heat to a simmer. Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, beef bone broth, bay leaves, and parmesan rind if using. Stir to incorporate, then cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for 2 hours – the longer, the better! Every so often, open the lid, stir and make sure it's not bubbling too much – if so, turn down the heat.2 tbsp tomato paste, 24 oz crushed tomatoes, ½ cup beef bone broth, 2 bay leaves, 1 parmesan rind
- After the bolognese has simmered for at least 2 hours, remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind. Then, pour in the heavy cream and milk. Stir to combine and let it warm up. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.¼ cup whole milk, ¼ cup heavy cream
- After spiralizing your zucchini, heavily salt them and place them onto a paper towel lined plate for at least 10 minutes. This will help draw excess moisture out. Then, ladle some of the bolognese sauce over the zucchini noodles and top with fresh grated parmesan. Enjoy!3-4 large zucchinis, grated parmesan
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.