Pasta Bolognese Loaded with Hidden Veggies

There are so many perks to this dish!

It’s a fantastic family meal
You can make it with meat or without (for those that prefer a vegetarian sauce)
Your kids will like it and will have no idea that they are consuming a large portion of veggies
You will have leftovers for lunch or dinner the next night, or you can freeze for another time
You have lots of options for noodles including veggie spiralized noodles (e.g. sweet potato, hearts of palm or kholrabi; just don’t opt for zucchini noodles as zucchini is a nightshade and is considered inflammatory) OR gluten-free noodles that have been prepared in your Instant Pot/pressure cooker**, OR you can skip the noodles all together for a low carb option.

**WHY make gluten-free pasta in the Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker? Because, with the exception of gluten, pressure cooking helps to breakdown the inflammatory components (i.e. lectins) found in so many foods including night-shades, legumes and grains. Gluten-free pastas are commonly brown rice, corn, chickpea and/or quinoa based thus pressure cooking these types of pastas helps to break down the lectins so as to be less inflammatory on your gut.

INGREDIENTS

NB: Try to source organic wherever possible!

2 tbsp avocado oil
1/2 – 1 whole onion, chopped
1 small/medium head of garlic, minced (approximately 10 cloves)
2 inch chubby piece of ginger, minced
1/2 head of broccoli chopped into florets
2 zucchinis, de-skinned, chopped into chunks
2 large handfuls of spinach
2 sticks of celery, chopped
1 small sweet potato, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 can tomato sauce (I tend to choose one with basil or Italian seasonings for extra flavor)
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
1 tbsp Italian seasoning (or more to taste)
1/2 cup of fresh basil, chopped (or 2 tsp of dry basil if need be)
1-2 tbsp coconut palm sugar (or to taste)
sprinkling of cinnamon
1 lb grass fed lean ground beef (omit if making a veggie sauce)
1-2 boxes of spiralized vegetable noodles (typically found in the refrigerator in the produce section of your grocery store; sweet potato, hearts of palm or kohlrabi noodles are good options just don’t opt for zucchini noodles as it’s a nightshade) OR gluten-free pasta that you have prepared in your Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
OPTIONAL: small handful of freshly grated Italian imported parmesan (for garnish over your bolognese)

NB! This sauce is made in the Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker so if you plan on serving right away, then you probably want to cook your gluten-free pasta in the pressure cooker FIRST and then set aside until your sauce is ready. Alternatively, once your sauce is made, you can transfer the sauce to a large pot and then make your pasta in the Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker.

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1: Do all your prep

chop onion, mince garlic and ginger
chop broccoli, zucchini, celery and sweet potato, set aside
chop basil, set aside
open diced tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato sauce, set aside
ensure seasonings are accessible

STEP 2: Start making the sauce in the Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker

add avocado oil (or EV olive oil or ghee) to Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
press or start Saute mode (ensure temp is set between 190-200F so it doesn’t get too hot too quick)
add chopped onions, garlic and ginger and saute a few minutes until onions get soft and aromatic
then add broccoli, zucchini, sweet potato and spinach as well as diced tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato sauce
add salt, pepper, basil and Italian seasoning
stir all ingredients together

STEP 3: Pressure cook

Turn your pressure cooker OFF (as it was previously in Saute mode)
Close and lock the lid (make sure valve is in sealed position)
Then turn back Instant Pot back on by pressing Manual or Pressure Cook
Set Pressure/Temp to High
Set Timer to 4 minutes
Start/On

NB! The 4 minute timer will NOT begin until the pressure cooker is UP TO pressure; this takes a few minutes (5-10) to get up to pressure after you press Start/On (the more food or the colder the food, the longer it takes to get up to pressure). Once up to pressure, the 4 minute countdown will begin and timer will sound once finished. After the timer, perform a QUICK RELEASE of your pressure cooker, which means, flick the valve at the top to open, which will release the steam. Use an oven mitt and stand back. If you somehow miss hearing the timer go off, the instant pot will automatically switch to “Keep Warm” mode and will start counting back up (and will start to naturally release the pressure). It will continue counting back up until you turn it off. FYI: Pressure cookers will ALWAYS switch to “Keep Warm” mode once the timer goes off and it’s done pressure cooking. Just always remember to flick the valve open to release the pressure before opening.

STEP 4: Sauté your ground beef (OMIT this step if making a Veggie Bolognese)

while your sauce is cooking in the Instant Pot, sauté your ground beef until browned, in a non-stick fry pan on the stove top med/high heat; add a dash of salt and pepper for taste and a little olive oil to the pan if need be
be sure to break up the beef to avoid large chunks
once browned, drain off any excess fat/fluid from the pan then set aside

STEP 4: Blend your sauce

After the 4 minute timer has gone off and you have released the pressure, the next step is to blend the sauce
You can use an immersion blender, OR you can pour the sauce into a blender, blend well, then pour it back into the Instant Pot – just be sure to blend very well (especially if you have kids who don’t like the sight of veggies 🙂
Once you have finished blending the sauce, TASTE TEST and add any additional seasonings (salt, pepper, Italian seasonings) to preference
This is also when you want to add 1-2 tbsp of coconut palm sugar (or more to taste) and a small dash of cinnamon; be careful when adding the cinnamon – too much and it will overpower the sauce but with a small amount, it adds that perfect “je ne sais quoi” to the sauce 🙂

NB! At this point, you have a fabulous VEGGIE sauce that you can pour over your choice of noodles. But for those of you that like a meat sauce…

STEP 5: Add the meat to the sauce and serve!