This healthy spaghetti bolognese recipe has everything we love in Italian food: ground beef in a rich garlic tomato sauce. Then topped with parmesan cheese on spaghetti, but without any extra fat. We also share keto options.
Like many families all over the world, we love classic recipes like this spaghetti bolognese recipe.
You might not notice while eating, but this is a much healthier option for weight loss. And it's cheaper to feed the whole family on a budget than dining out at an Italian restaurant!
And the best part is, this only takes about 35 minutes to cook and is a great recipe to make in a big batch and store in the freezer head of time.
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🛒 Ingredient Notes
Please see the printable recipe card with exact ingredient quantities and preparation instructions at the bottom of this post.
Low calorie cooking spray - to make this an unofficial Slimming World spaghetti bolognese, we use oil spray to sauté the onions and garlic and brown the beef. For keto diets, use olive oil.
Minced beef - for health benefits, we choose healthy protein in the form of extra lean beef mince (5% fat). This is lower in saturated fat, (typically known for raising blood cholesterol and heart disease).
Onion - for a subtle sweetness after caramelising in the frying pan
Cloves of garlic - minced and sauteed for a rich spaghetti bolognese
Bacon (optional) - all fat removed, then chopped and fried for extra flavour
Carrot - diced to add chunks for bite and additional sweetness, or add a grated carrot for a quick recipe
Mediterranean vegetables - we use free Slimming World vegetable which are sliced mushrooms and diced red pepper, but for a hearty dish, you could also use diced celery sticks, courgette and more
Herbs and spices - we use a mix of dried sage, fresh basil, and salt and black pepper to taste, which we call "seasoning"
Passata - for a more intense tomato sauce
Tomato puree - (tomato paste) for a more concentrated tomato flavour and helps thicken the pasta sauce
Tinned tomatoes - we use chopped, but you could use crushed tomatoes
Beef stockpot - or beef stock cube crumbled into the sauce to enhance the beefy flavour
Balsamic vinegar - or Worcestershire sauce
Parmesan cheese - shavings or grated on top for the ultimate comfort food
Spaghetti - we use authentic Italian spaghetti made with 100% durum wheat, but you could use wholewheat pasta instead
📋 Instructions
To help you make this delicious sauce, here are my easy step by step instructions to follow along.
Spray a large lidded pan with fry light and cook the bacon strips thoroughly. This should take 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic, onions, and red pepper with some seasoning and saute until softened.
Now add the beef and cook until browned over medium heat (this takes approx 3-5 minutes).
Next add the carrots, mushrooms, tomato puree, and balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce.
Then add all the herbs and tinned tomatoes.
Add the passata and bring it to a boil. Then reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
Tips: While the remaining ingredients are cooking 20 minutes in, use this time to boil your spaghetti as per instructed on the packet then drain and portion out.
And don't forget to season the bolognese sauce to taste before serving, then sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy!
👩🍳 Substitutions
Depending on your dietary needs, here are a few simple swaps you can make:
- GF - ensure you use gluten free stockpot or stock cube, Worcestershire sauce and try spaghetti squash
- Low carb option - swap spaghetti for courgetti (zucchini noodles)
- Vegetarian or Vegan - swap ground meat for crumbled tofu, Quorn mince, jackfruit, red lentils, or extra veggies. Also, use vegetable stock or vegan bouillon.
⚖️ Variations
- Spicy - if you like heat in your bolognese, add some chilli flakes, red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper
- Deluxe - add a bay leaf, additional white wine or red wine stockpot, some heavy cream (Mary Berry tip) or dark chocolate for a rich bolognese sauce
- Kid-friendly - a great way to encourage kids to eat this healthy bolognese sauce recipe is to use mickey mouse pasta shapes or serve with french fries and chips
- Meat sauce alternatives - use lean ground turkey, ground chicken, pork mince, etc
See my similar healthy turkey mince meatballs in tomato sauce with zoodles on my website.
🔪 Equipment
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- Frying pan
- Weighing scales
- Chopping board
- Chopping knife
- Garlic press
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring jug
- Salt and pepper grinder
- Large saucepan
- Spatula
- Cheese grater
❄️ Storage
Storing - we prefer eating unofficial Slimming World spag bol fresh, but it can be stored in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Freezing - cool to room temperature and again, store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Reheating - If you want to eat the next day, defrost in the fridge if required and microwave until piping hot, or on the hob or stove.
💡Pro Tips
- Season the beef well with sea salt while browning - it makes a significant difference and creates a very delicious meal.
- For best results, if using fresh herbs, stir them in towards the end, otherwise, the heat can destroy their flavour.
- Trim all visible fat from the bacon before cooking it in the pot to keep unnecessary calories down to a minimum
- Save money on your energy bill and reduce cooking time by grating all of your vegetables or shred them in a food processor before cooking with the meat for only 10-15 minutes.
- Instead of tomatoes, why not stir in some Weight Watchers tomato soup and reduce down?
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with some easy crusty garlic bread, or a tear and share pizza bread using wholewheat flour for dipping alongside a leafy green salad.
Disclaimer: This is an unofficial page and has no affiliation or endorsement from Slimming World. Slimming World's website can be found at https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/
*Any syn values are personal estimates and not verified by Slimming World.
❓ FAQ
Yes, you absolutely can eat dried spaghetti on Slimming World without counting. However, you will need to count fresh pre-packed pasta as they usually have oil in them.
We estimate that without the parmesan, this recipe is syn free. However, if serving 30g of grated parmesan between 4 people, this recipe works out at 1.5 syns per person. But the good news is, there are some brands available where you can as part of your Healthy Extra A!
Yes, you can see this almost exact recipe in my slow cooker bolognese pasta bake where I cook the meaty sauce in the pot. Then finish in the oven with pasta and cheese in a baking tray.
➕ More Pasta Recipes
Looking for more delicious recipes with pasta? Try these:
➕ More Beef Recipes
Here's more of our favourite dishes with beef with so mch flavour:
You can mind more unofficial Slimming World recipes here.
📖 Recipe
Healthy Spaghetti Bolognese {Unofficial Slimming World}
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 g 5% fat beef mince
- Low calorie cooking oil spray
- 1 onion diced
- 4 rashers bacon all fat removed & sliced
- 1 carrot peeled & diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon sage
- 130 g mushrooms
- 2 teaspoon basil
- 1 red pepper
- 500 ml passata
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- 400 g tinned tomatoes
- 1 stockpot beef
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 320 g spaghetti cooked as per instructions
- Seasoning
- 30 g parmesan grated *to be counted
Instructions
- Spray a large lidded pan with frylight and cook the bacon strips. Then add the garlic, onions and pepper with some seasoning and saute until softenened.
- Now add the beef and sear until browned.
- Then add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil and stir.
- Now reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- 20 minutes in, boil your spaghetti as per instructed on the packet then drain and portion out.
- Season the bolognese sauce to taste and spoon on top of the spaghetti. Then sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy!
Disclaimer
*This is an unofficial page and has no affiliation or endorsement from Slimming World. Slimming World's website can be found at https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/. Any syn values are personal estimates and not verified by Slimming World.
Video
Notes
- Season the beef well with sea salt while browning - it makes a significant difference and creates a very delicious meal.
- For best results, if using fresh herbs, stir them in towards the end, otherwise, the heat can destroy their flavour.
- Trim all visible fat from the bacon before cooking it in the pot to keep unnecessary calories down to a minimum
- Save money on your energy bill and reduce cooking time by grating all of your vegetables or shred them in a food processor before cooking with the meat for only 10-15 minutes.
- Instead of tomatoes, why not stir in some Weight Watchers tomato soup and reduce down?
Nutrition
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