Bikini Zucchini Bolognese

2/19/2014

Bikini Zucchini Bolognese

Yesterday was one of those days where I had absolutely no patience for cooking, and I was not in the mood to make anything that required too much thought or cleaning. I had just come home from work (my first day!), followed by a (tough!) Pilates class, so I wanted to whip up something as quickly and easily as possible, so I could spend the rest of the night relaxing on the couch and watching The Bachelor. Bikini Zucchini Bolognese was the perfect answer. 

I've been totally in love with my Spiralizer lately, and to any of you healthy eaters out there who don't own one yet - you must order it! It's perfect for creating amazing zucchini noodles as well as TONS of other veggie noodles to help you amp up your normal weeknight meals in creative, LIGHT, and fun ways! 

I've been getting all kinds of low-cal, veggie-packed recipe inspiration from the talented Ali over at Inspiralized.  She makes a delicious Bikini Bolognese, and I have been dying to follow suit and create my own version. I must say - it was a HUGE hit amongst Mitch, Becca, and I. We were all completely satisfied, happy, and full afterwards, and we felt amazing knowing that our whole dinner consisted of veggies and lean protein. It was the perfect answer to my need for a quick dinner, quick cleanup, and light & nutritious ingredients. Total BONUS that it was so yummy and completely satisfied my craving for Italian food! You must try it!

Ingredients
5 medium zucchinis - Spiralized and patted dry with paper towels
1 package ground turkey
1 large carrot - chopped
1 large celery stalk - chopped
1/2 white onion - chopped
3 frozen Dorot garlic cubes (or 3 chopped cloves)
1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tsp oregano flakes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 can San Marzano peeled tomatoes - (tomatoes only, not juice) chopped or hand-crushed
Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil - for garnish
Salt & pepper to taste

Serves 3.

• Cut zucchinis in half and remove ends. Run through Spiralizer to create zoodles. Slice through zoodles as they tend to be very long after spiralizing. Pat down with paper towel and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a pot on the stove. Add garlic cubes. Saute. 
• Add carrots, onion, celery, bay leaf, and oregano. Saute until cooked through.
• Add ground turkey, crumbling with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add red pepper flakes. Cook the turkey until it is brown and there is no pink left.
• Once turkey is cooked, add white wine and let it reduce.
• Once wine is reduced, remove bay leaf. Crush tomatoes into pot and add tomato paste. Mix ingredients well. Keep stove on medium and let the tomato juices reduce.
• After juices have reduced a bit, set bolognese aside into a separate bowl.
• Cook zucchini noodles for about 2 minutes with olive oil in the same pot. Because they are already soft, they just need to heat through prior to serving them,
• Mix half of bolognese sauce into the zoodles, and remove from stove. Distribute into bowls for serving and add the rest of the bolognese on top of the zucchini noodles.
• Garnish with freshly shaved parmesan cheese and fresh basil! 

Hope you love this light, bikini-friendly recipe! For other Spiralizing ideas, make sure to check out Inspiralized!