Whole30 Bolognese

WHOLE30 BOLOGNESE😍

If you also ate allll the things this Thanksgiving like me, you’re probably looking for something healthy to eat this week, but it’s also getting cold which means comfort food typically beats out salad for dinner. Combine the two with this Whole 30 rendition of my famous Bolognese and have some healthy comfort food all week long.

I found it to be quite difficult to find Whole30 compliant Italian Sausage as most have sugar, so I decided to use ground pork and just infuse the flavors of Italian Sausage in the sauce. If you are not on Whole 30 and don’t have access to many spices, feel free to use Italian sausage instead of pork! Pair with spaghetti squash and enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the Whole 30 Bolognese:

• 1 lb ground pork

• 1 lb ground beef

• 2 14oz cans San Marzano tomatoes 

• 1 cup chicken broth

• 2 tbsps tomato paste

• 1 container mirepoix ( or 1 onion chopped, 1 carrot chopped, 2 celery stalks chopped)

• 4 minced garlic cloves

• 2 bay leaves (optional)

• 2 tsps Italian seasoning (or equal parts dried oregano, parsley, thyme, and rosemary)

• ½ tsp fennel seeds (optional)

• ½ tsp red pepper flakes

• 2 tbsps olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Spaghetti Squash or Zoodles to serve

Directions:

For the Whole30 Bolognese:

• Sauté onions, celery, and carrots in olive oil with salt and pepper. 

• Once soft, add pork and ground beef, breaking up with a wooden spoon until browned. 

• Add garlic and tomato paste and cook out for about a minute. 

• Add in the broth and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. 

• Meanwhile, break up the San Marzano can of tomatoes either with your hands or scissors until slightly more pureed but still chunky.

• Add in the tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes. 

• Bring to a boil, then stir and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook covered for AT LEAST 45 min (the longer the better). Serve atop spaghetti squash and enjoy!