Adding more vegetables to a pasta dish helps to cut the total carbohydrate of the dish. If 60 grams of carbohydrate is too much in one meal, you can add additional lean, ground meat to the recipe, and divide this into 5, rather than 4 portions. In that case, each portion will have 48 grams of carbohydrate and 48 grams of protein.
For a simpler and lower carb version of this recipe, simply use zucchini noodles, ground meat and your favorite tomato sauce. First, cook the meat. Then add the sauce, and lastly add the zucchini noodles.
Ingredients
Spaghetti
- ½ lbs. (½ box) whole wheat
Zucchini
- 1 medium (whole or pre-spiralized noodles)
Carrots
- 2 large
Celery
- 2 large stalks
Onion
- 1 medium, any type
Ground_turkey
- 1 lb 97% lean
Tomato_sauce
- 1 (15.5 oz) can no salt added
Water
- ½ cup
Italian_seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon
Red_pepper_flakes
- 1 pinch crushed
Salt
- to taste (~¼ teaspoon)
Parmesan_cheese
- ½ cup (optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Cook pasta as directed on box and drain with a colander.
Step 2
While the pasta is cooking, chop the carrots, celery, and onion. Prepare the zucchini noodles or chop the zucchini into small pieces.
Step 3
Heat oil on medium-high heat in the same large pot you used for the pasta.
Step 4
Add the chopped vegetables (not zucchini noodles) and cook for 2-3 minutes or until some water cooks off.
Step 5
Add the ground meat and cook for 3-5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally to break up the meat.
Step 6
Add the Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes. Allow seasoning to become fragrant (about 2 minutes).
Step 7
Add the tomato sauce and water and stir. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes or until thickened.
Step 8
If using chopped zucchini, add it to the sauce. If using zucchini noodles, mix them into the pasta.
Step 9
Divide pasta into 3 equal portions and top with sauce (the hot sauce will cook the zucchini). Sprinkle with parmesan if desired.
Notes
Zucchini noodles can be purchased in the frozen section of many grocery stores, or made at home if you have a kitchen tool to make them (spiralizer). You can also simply chop the zucchini.