Spagbol is a fabulous mid-week meal - it’s easy-breezy to whip up, beloved by the whole family, and a tasty way to get in a whole heap of veggies!

This version is also lower-carb, swapping pasta for courgetti aka courgette noodles. These are basically faux noodles, which can be whipped up easily using a spiraliser or veggie peeler. Alternatively, just use normal pasta if this is you or your families preference. It also has the option of making it fully plant-based or vegan, subbing lentils for mince.

Thanks to our nutritionist Danijela for sharing this recipe with us. For more on Danijela head to her website here.

LOWER-CARB SPAGBOL
Serves 5-6

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp oil
1 brown onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 kg prime beef mince (or 2-3x 400g tin of brown lentils for a plant-based option)
2 tins of pureed tomatoes
1 small pottle/140g tomato paste
1 carrot, grated
1 courgette, grated
2 handfuls of white button mushrooms, sliced
S&P, to taste
1 medium courgette/person (for courgetti noodles - as a guide) or pasta
Spiraliser

METHOD
 
1. Heat a large fry pan with a drizzle of oil. Stir-fry garlic and onion for around five minutes, or until soft and clear.

2. Add beef mince. Cook until brown all over. If doing a plant-based version, skip this step.

3. Add grated carrot, courgette and mushrooms and cook for a further few minutes.

4. Add tins of tomato, tomato paste, and drained and rinsed lentils if using. Mix together well. Turn up heat until sauce begins to boil, then turn reduce to a simmer. Leave for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to thicken sauce.

5. Prepare courgette noodles using a spiraliser - this is a tool you can use to turn vegetables into faux noodes! If you don’t have a sprialiser, you could try using a veggie peeler, aiming to keep peelings as thin as possible, like ribbons.

6. Place the noodles into a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes have passed gently squeeze any excess moisture out of noodles. 

7. Add portions of courgette noodles to a bowl, top with cooked bolognese sauce, season with S&P.

NOTE: you can also serve this with regular pasta if desired, however serving with veggie noodles will keep it a lower-carb meal.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Per serving (when making for 5), made with lean beef mince and courgette noodles
Protein: 27.8g
Carbohydrates: 14.92g
Dietary fibre: 4.96g
Sugars: 8.1g
Fat: 14.02g