Spaghetti bolognese

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Spaghetti bolognese

This version is much healthier but is still incredibly tasty

1 hour 15 minutes

Serves 2

WCRF recipe author logo

Recipe by: World Cancer Research Fund | cancer and nutrition experts

This recipe is bursting with tomatoes, as a good bolognese should be. Using turkey and lentils allows me to substitute the red meat – an important way to lower your risk of bowel cancer.

WCRF recipe author logo

Recipe by: World Cancer Research Fund | cancer and nutrition experts

This recipe is bursting with tomatoes, as a good bolognese should be. Using turkey and lentils allows me to substitute the red meat – an important way to lower your risk of bowel cancer.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon rapeseed or sunflower oil
  • 1 small carrot, finely diced
  • 1 small fennel bulb, finely diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2–3 cloves garlic (or less, according to taste), finely diced
  • 40g mushrooms, chopped
  • 200g lean minced turkey
  • 30g dried lentils (green, red or puy), rinsed
  • 500g tomatoes, diced
  • 150g wholewheat spaghetti (or other pasta)
  • 1 tablespoon chives

CALORIES: 535

FAT: 10g

5 A DAY: 4.5

SALT: 0.4g

SUGAR: 14g

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onion and stir until lightly brown, then add the garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes.
  2. Add the rest of the vegetables (except the tomatoes) and the mince and cook for 8 minutes on a medium heat.
  3. Add the lentils and then the chopped tomatoes.
  4. Place a lid on the pan and simmer for 30–50 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked and the sauce is at your desired consistency. The texture should be fairly thick.
  5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water with a little olive oil to help stop the pasta sticking together.
  6. Serve sprinkled liberally with finely cut chives.

The secret to successfully replacing the mince with vegetables is to cut them into small cubes so the texture replicates mince

> Cook the right amount of spaghetti every time!

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