black bean spaghetti bolognese

black bean spaghetti bolognese

Serves 4

A delicious healthy meal from our Co-Founder and Nutrition Director, Louise Keats.

This bolognese includes lentils for an extra serving of vegetables – plus they taste delicious.

You can now buy spaghetti made purely from black beans, which I think is genius. If you can’t source it, go for organic spelt spaghetti – my next favourite pick (but it isn’t gluten free so pick something else if you need that).

I recently heard gut health expert Dr Jason Hawrelak remark in a podcast interview on
the benefits of black beans for our health: “With black beans we’ve got the black
polyphenols, we’ve got a range of soluble and insoluble fibres, we’ve got resistant starches and we have oligosaccharides, all in one package. You can’t find anything else that’s got four or five different ways of feeding the microbiome like you get with a legume like that.”

 

Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free


INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 rashers organic bacon
  • 3 cloves of garlic, diced
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 2 carrots (purple or orange), diced
  • 500 g minced beef
  • 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
  • 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
  • 300g cherry tomatoes
  • 1 x 400g tin lentils, rinsed and drained (or 1 cup cooked lentils)
  • 400 g black bean spaghetti
  • Parmesan cheese, to serve (optional – omit for dairy-free)

METHOD

  1. Heat oil in a casserole pan on a medium heat, add the bacon, garlic, onion and carrot and cook for 10 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add the minced beef, breaking it apart with the back of a spoon, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until starting to brown, then add the balsamic, diced tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and 1/2 cup water (or stock if you have it on hand). Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Stir through lentils to warm.
  4. Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain, reserving a cup of cooking water, then return to the pan with a few spoons of Bolognese, a good grating of Parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
  5. Toss to coat the spaghetti, loosening with a splash of cooking water, if needed.
  6. Divide the spaghetti between plates or bowls, add a good spoonful of Bolognese to each, then serve with a fine grating of Parmesan (optional).