Turkey Bolognese

 

This recipe is from The 30-minute Prediabetes Cookbook by Ranelle Kirchner. I’m enjoying all the information in here, and also the philosophy that the goal isn’t to eat zero-carb meals, just lower-carb. (The author also distinguishes between simple and complex carbs, which makes sense to me, even though my endocrinologist was warning against any kind of carb.) 

Boxes of chickpea pasta are closer to 8 ounces than to the usual 16 ounces, and as long as we were getting two boxes, we figured we might as well taste-test two different brands. We came to the conclusion that we much prefer Banza (we had the penne) to Barilla (we had the rotini). Compared to traditional wheat pasta, chickpea pasta has 10 grams fewer carbs per serving, as well as 6 grams more fiber and protein. A word of warning, though: you MUST watch the pot as it boils! Chickpea pasta will produce a lot more foam than wheat pasta and it will definitely boil over if you’re not stirring it occasionally. 

We all really liked this, including the kids! The recipe below is supposed to make 4 servings; I used more pasta and stretched it to 8 servings (half of which were small kid servings). 

1 onion, coarsely chopped 

1 large carrot, coarsely chopped 

2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped 

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 

1 lb. ground turkey 

½ cup lactose-free milk 

¾ cup red or white wine 

1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes 

10 oz. cooked chickpea pasta (see note above) 

Place the onion, carrots, and celery in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. 

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chopped vegetables for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened. Add the ground turkey, breaking the poultry into smaller pieces, and cook for 5 minutes. 

Add the milk and wine and cook until the liquid is nearly evaporated. 

Add the tomatoes and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions and set aside. 

Serve the sauce with the cooked chickpea pasta.