RECIPE: the veggie packed bolognese that will keep you nourished (& sane)

// because easy meals are the lifeblood of motherhood

This recipe is simple, easy to make, & freezable — AKA the perfect meal to keep in your arsenal if you love hearty, healthy, & nourishing meals.

I am sharing the recipe for a *single* batch but I usually double this & then freeze the extra for a rainy day (AKA a day that I want a really warm & yummy dinner but don’t feel like spending time & energy cooking a big crazy meal from scratch).

But before we get into the nitty gritty — let me quickly share why I love this meal.

***connecting to your meal is a powerful way to practice presence, mindfulness & gratitude — which helps to calm the nervous system, optimize digestion & support your overall well-being***

*while I love a good pasta + wine pairing, motherhood has me opting for a non-alcoholic beverage more often than not & Olipop is at the top of my list!*

WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER ADDING THIS MEAL INTO YOUR ROTATION

— It is a super easy way to sneak in more veggies (aka nutrients!)

• The more diverse our diet is, the healthier our gut is. It is recommended to incorporate at least 30 different kinds of plants (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, & spices) per week!!!

  • & if you somehow haven’t learned this by now (which would be crazy with the insane rise or dare I say ~trend~ of holistic health + wellness) gut health is the most important factor in our overall well-being. It impacts our mental health, energy levels, digestion, sleep & more.

• Adding in more veggies will bulk up your meal without adding excess calories.

  • Not that calories are the enemy, but if you are like me, you don’t shy away from giving your eyes & belly the portion they desire + deserve. So adding in extra veggies gives you more bang for your buck!

  • As a postpartum mama I am on a weight loss journey & being mindful of my caloric vs. nutrient intake (mindful, not obsessive) is a key factor.

• If you are feeding your family & have kids that tend to be fussy when it comes to eating their vegetables — this is a surefire way to make sure they get all the nourishment they need without the battle.

— Cook once, eat twice (or even thrice!)

• The best part about this meal is it can easily feed a crowd. A single batch usually gives me & Casey dinner & leftovers for lunch. Which is why I typically make it a double batch & then freeze half of the sauce for a time in the future when I want a nice home cooked meal without the hassle (& mess).

• My defrost protocol:

  • If I know that I have a long day ahead of me & will most likely not want to spend an hour cooking dinner — I will take the sauce out of the freezer in the AM.

  • But, there are times that I plan to cook a nice big meal — until 5pm rolls around & I am so exhausted I can’t imagine cooking. That is when I grab the tupperware (glass, always, because #microplastics) & let it sit in the sink, submerged in hot water. Once the sauce is defrosted enough to get out of the container I throw it in a sauce pain over low heat & let it simmer until we are ready for dinner & then toss it over some pasta & voila!

— A meal to support + soothe the body & soul (great for postpartum!)

• While a great pasta dish is yummy all year round, this meal is especially nourishing in the colder seasons & for any postpartum mama

  • It is so important for postpartum women to prioritize nutrient dense meals, warming foods & herbs to aid in recovery, vitality & overall healing. In Chinese medicine it is said that warm temperature foods help quickly replenish the Yang energy that is lost through childbirth. I recommend the book The First 40 Days for anyone looking for good postpartum recipes!

• Carrots & onions are both root veggies packed with micronutrients, beta-carotene, antioxidants & fiber (root veggies absorb all the goodness from the soil) which make this an incredibly healthy & grounding meal.

  • Eating seasonally is a great way to give your body what it needs while also connecting to the land — we are meant to eat the foods that grow outside our door, living in sync with nature!

• ~Move over chicken noodle soup~ because this dish is loaded with immune supporting ingredients!

  • Onions & garlic are both incredibly supportive to our immune system (they are known to be anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal & anti-viral).

— Simple way to hit your protein goals (especially if you use semolina durum wheat pasta or chickpea pasta!)

• Adding organic grass fed beef into your diet is an easy way to get high quality protein into the body.

  • But it also gives you a dose of vitamins A, E, and B12, as well as minerals like iron, zinc, and selenium — which again are SO IMPORTANT for postpartum but also pregnancy!

  • I struggled with my health in pregnancy (low iron was a big one) & leaning into an animal based diet really helped.

• While I love me some chickpea pasta (tbt to when I was 100% gluten free), I have a newfound love for high quality pasta! When I shop I look for organic semolina durum wheat because it contains significantly more protein than regular pasta.

  • This is the brand + shape I have been loving (Bennett, too!).

  • If you are gluten free I like Trader Joes organic yellow lentil & brown rice spaghetti.

Let’s make some magic!

RECIPE BELOW

I am not a true recipe creator. If anything I would classify myself as someone who wings it in the kitchen & has a natural gift for figuring it out as I go.

I measure with my heart & because of that this recipe is going to have a lot of estimates & times where I encourage you to cater to your personal preference & needs!

VEGGIE PACKED BOLOGNESE:

Single batch (feeds 4-6)

— I like to double this recipe & freeze half for a future meal