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
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