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spaghetti with minced meat and vegetables sauce, topped with basil leaves, arranged on a white plate

Gluten-free turkey spaghetti Bolognese

Healthy version of the traditional, slow-cooked, moreish pasta dish.
Recommended:
mid and end of the chemo cycle and when the chemo treatments have ended
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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 45 mins

Ingredients
  

  • 2 banana shallots or any onion, peeled
  • 1 leek, peeled
  • 2 celery stalks, preferably organic
  • 1 big or 3 medium-size carrots, preferably organic, peeled
  • 250 g white button mushrooms, preferably organic
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 tsp tomato puree
  • 250 g organic minced turkey, (or organic minced chicken)
  • 1 bottle Passata, approx. 690g, preferably in a glass jar
  • 1 and 1/2 Tbsp dried Provencal herbs
  • a bunch of fresh parsley
  • 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Himalayan pink salt and pepper for seasoning

Garnish for 1 portion:

  • 80 g brown rice spaghetti
  • couple of cavolo nero leaves (or Swiss chard or spinach)
  • couple basil leaves, (optional and only when the chemo treatments have ended)
  • a pinch Himalayan pink salt
  • a pinch of celery seeds
  • 1 tsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp ground almonds
  • a pinch of cayenne pepper, (optional and only when the chemo treatments have ended)

Instructions
 

  • Wash all your vegetables thoroughly and clean the mushrooms.
    vegetables, mince turkey, olive oil, dried herbs and tomato sauce arranged on a white wooden table
  • Chop the carrot, celery and onion into similar size pieces and finely chop the garlic and shallots.
    Slice the leek and mushrooms into smaller pieces.
    chopped carrots, leek, celery, mushrooms and finely chopped onion and garlic arranged on a plate
  • Pour the olive oil into a large, deep saucepan, heat it up over medium-low heat and after a minute or so add the chopped shallots, carrot and celery. 
    Cover with a lid, lower the heat to low and cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, making sure that nothing sticks to the pan. We’re essentially preparing soffritto, which is a base of lots of Italian dishes as it creates tons of flavour.
    chopped vegetables in a pan on a white table
  • As soon as the vegetables start to soften add the minced turkey. Cook it on low heat until it changes its colour from pink to brown, making sure you break it into smaller pieces as it cooks.
    Add the garlic, herbs and tomato puree, mix it well with the meat and vegetables and cook for further 2 minutes.
    chopped vegetables and minced turkey meat in a pan on a white table
  • Pour in the passata together with 1.5 - 2 cups of cold water, stir well and increase the heat to medium. Once the sauce starts boiling lower the heat to the low, season with the salt and pepper, cover with a lid and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    vegetables, turkey meat and tomato sauce in a pan
  • Add the mushrooms and chopped parsley, stir again and cook for 10 more minutes.
    vegetables, turkey meat and tomato sauce with muchrooms and parsley in a pan
  • For the dairy-free parmesan, crush the celery seeds and salt in a mortar until it’s fine, add the nutritional yeast and gently combine it with the mixture. Add the ground almonds and combine them very gently with the mixture. 
    Remove the stalks from the cavolo nero, chop it roughly, add it to the sauce and cook it covered for 2-3 minutes or until it’s soft.
    brown rice spaghetti, seasoning, basil and cavolo nero arranged on a white wooden table
  • Mix the spaghetti with the sauce, sprinkle them with the dairy-free parmesan and a little bit of cayenne pepper (only when the treatments have ended) and top with some basil leaves.
    spaghetti with minced meat and vegetables sauce, topped with basil leaves, arranged on a white plate
Keyword aromatic, easy, filling, gluten-free, nutritious