Spaghetti is one of my favorite foods, and it is definitely Brynn's. Spaghetti sauce is a great way to hide veggies too, which is great for picky veggie haters. Regular noodles are pretty self explanatory, however there are some other (paleo/gluten-free) noodle options (like spaghetti squash noodles or zucchini noodles) that can make your entire meal much healthier. My family is a bit picky, so I personally buy whole grain spaghetti noodles. However, I LOVE spaghetti squash noodles and I strongly recommend everyone tries them!
Here's my favorite meaty, veggie-filled spaghetti recipe.
What You Need
1 package of lean ground turkey or chicken (these are the healthiest ground meats) or you can use veggie ground round
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 - 4 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
3.5 cups of crushed tomatoes (2 cans)
2 cups of fresh spinach, washed well and dried, stems removed, chopped
1⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of fresh mushrooms, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup of green peppers, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup zucchini, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup onions, chopped (optional)
Directions
1. Cook meat of choice in a pan until browned.
2. Sauté garlic (and red pepper flakes, if desired) in oil until garlic is golden. Add to a pot.
3. Puree any of the chopped veggies you want to in a food processor or blender, to hide them from little ones!
4. Add tomatoes, cooked meat, and chopped or blended veggies to the pot with the garlic and cook, covered, for 10 minutes.
5. Add spinach and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
6. Optional - add your cooked noodles to the sauce and heat for 1 minute. Otherwise, put the sauce on top of the noodles after plating.
7. Sprinkle with cheese and serve!
~ Misty Blue of the Us & Him Blog
