Family Night Bolognese with Zucchini

Bolognese with cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh basil and coarsely grated zucchini. It’s so good the whole family will stop to sit down and eat this delicious meal. 

I’m not usually the “more pasta the better” kinda gal but this dish is something else. All the flavors are so pronounced since they aren’t drowned out by a heavy marinara sauce. I love this dish and there’s certainly enough to feed a family.

I definitely love the mix of coarsely grated zucchini in with the noodles. It just adds a little extra flavor, color, and nutrition which I just love, of course.

Do you guys struggle with finding a meal that the whole family loves? Ugh, I sooo do. I mean I am dealing with a 3, 4, and 6 year-old so that’s expected right? Kids automatically refuse to do what you would like them to do or is that just me?? Feeding kids is hard in my world. Let me rephrase that, feeding kids is hard if you want them to eat healthy and anything other than a McDonald’s Happy Meal. Sometimes I feel like packing their suppers up in a McDonalds sack just to see if they will eat it.

The same meal can sometimes have four variations in order to made the kids happy and willing to eat supper. Seriously, why can’t I just set their food in front of them and be like there’s supper. You can eat it or not but if not then breakfast is at 7am. It sounds simple enough but their little faces. I take full responsibility for my daughter’s picky eating. The weird thing is I ask her preschool teacher all the time how she eats and she says oh, just great! I’m totally confused. *@#$%!

Well, this meal was a hit at our house. I couldn’t help but sneak some extra veggies in there with the grated zucchini. I am always thinking.

My four year-old is too smart, however and preferred his without the green stuff. So it turns out green smoothies are okay for him but bolognese with zucchini is not. I will keep on trying though.

Family Night Bolognese with Zucchini

Megan

Bolognese with cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh basil and coarsely grated zucchini. It's so good the whole family will stop to sit down and eat this delicious meal.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Main Dish, Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 12 oz whole grain thin spaghetti
• 1 cup reserved pasta water
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 cloves garlic crushed or minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or granulated
• Pinch kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons tap water
• 1 lemon zest + juiced
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
• ½ zucchini coarsely grated
• 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 5-6 basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

 

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to manufacturer's instructions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile in a large skillet, brown beef with the crushed red pepper, thyme, garlic. Once beef has browned, add tomato paste, coconut sugar, and salt and pepper. Continue to stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add white vinegar and tap water and cook another 2 minutes or so until almost evaporated.
• Add pasta at this time along with lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix to combine.
• Stir in cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and olives along with ½ cup reserved pasta water. If needed add remaining ½ cup pasta water.
• Serve topped with chopped basil leaves.

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