Slow-Cooked Bolognese Sauce with Sweet Potato Spaghetti

This is Whole30 comfort food at its best. Making Bolognese sauce every Friday is a new tradition of mine, and even though I've only been doing it for a few weeks, it's already made my weekends much heartier and more delicious. I have Fridays off this semester so I can stay home while this fragrant sauce simmers away, but if you have to work you could start the sauce in the morning before you leave and finish it in the slow cooker, or make it your Saturday or Sunday tradition instead.

You want to let this sauce cook for a nice long time because the flavors will continue to meld and develop over the course of several hours. The long cooking time is the reason bolognese sauce is so synergistic. I also think the sauce tastes even better when I reheat it a day or two later, but I can never resist eating at least some of it the day I make it. The aroma is so enticing! 

Because everyone's schedule is different, I'm providing a slow cooker version and a version that cooks completely on the stovetop. Other than the cooking time, which is much longer for the slow cooker version, the only difference is the amount of liquid you add. The stovetop version needs extra liquid since much of the water in the sauce will evaporate, but the slow cooker keeps all that moisture locked in.

Zucchini Lasagna

I've been on the fence for a while about whether I should buy a spiralizer. I want to make rutabaga noodles so badly, but I can't seem to bring myself to purchase another kitchen gadget. I've made zoodles by hand with my julienne peeler, but it's a huge pain. After adding the spiralizer to my cart on Amazon several times and then taking it back out again, I've decided that I'm going to ask for one for my birthday next month (are you reading this, Mom?). I won't feel as bad about getting yet another cooking tool if it is a gift from my wonderful mother.

In the meantime, I was excited to find this zucchini lasagna over on Sarah and Tim's blog, Curious Cuisiniere, because it uses veggie noodles that you don't need any special gadgets to make. Strips of zucchini stand in for lasagna noodles, but all the great Italian flavors and delicious textures of the original dish still come through.

Curious Cuisiniere was my assignment for this month's Secret Recipe Club reveal, and I had a great time perusing the site to choose a dish. I noticed that this recipe isn't their only noodle-free lasagna--they also have a butternut squash lasagna that I'm planning to try in the fall. Sarah and Tim also have recipes from countries all around the world, and the best part is that they have an interactive map that helps you explore food from different regions. Click on India, for example, and you'll be taken to a page with all of the Indian recipes on Curious Cuisiniere. So cool! If you're looking to expand your palate and cooking repertoire with some food from faraway lands, their blog is the place to do it.

Chicken Meatballs with Garlic Kale Marinara (Whole30 Day 4)

I've always been more of a baker than a cook, but I'm working hard to change that, especially since starting my Whole30.  It's exciting to try lots of different meats in lots of different forms.  Yesterday I made pork belly (you can see the before & after pics on Instagram--it was good, but not quite good enough to share with you!).  Today I used ground chicken to make meatballs.  I am so happy with the way this dish turned out--it's one of the best savory recipes I've made!  The meatballs are moist and rich, and the sauce provides the perfect level of tart tomato and roasted garlic flavor.

Shrimp & Zoodles with Garlic Tomato Sauce

Have you ever made zoodles?  If you get yourself a julienne peeler, you can be making zucchini into low-carb noodle stand-ins in no time.  It's actually really good.  You may not be able to fool people into thinking they are eating actual spaghetti, but I don't think anyone will be complaining.

Linguine Rustico with Whole Cloves of Garlic

I love pasta!  Here is a delicious, vegan pasta dish that is not for the faint of heart.  It's filling, packed with flavor and the perfect amount of spice, and easy to make.  The chickpeas make it hearty and satisfying, and the garlic cloves are mellow and almost sweet after simmering to golden perfection in the olive oil.

Ingredients (serves 2):

1/4 cup olive oil

25 cloves of garlic, peeled

8 ounces linguine

1 15 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup tomato sauce (I used Goya Spanish style tomato sauce)

1/3 cup white wine (I used chardonnay)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is soft and well-browned on all sides, 20-25 minutes.  This part can't be rushed.  I promise that after this step, the rest of the dish comes together quickly.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente and drain, reserving about a cup of the cooking water.

When the garlic is browned, raise the heat to medium high and add the chickpeas with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the tomato sauce.  After 2-3 more minutes, add the wine.  Let it bubble away for a minute or so.

Toss the pasta with the sauce, adding pasta water as needed.  Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.  Stir in the parsley and serve hot, topped with a little more parsley.