Lightening Up a Cold Weather Classic

The smell of something wonderful simmering on the stove is a respite from the cold weather and snow. Even before we eat it we feel warmer inside, just knowing it’s there. Pasta with a hearty Bolognese sauce is not typically a Weight Watchers™ sanctioned meal, at least not the kind done the regular way with beef and veal and bacon and cream. But sometimes a girl just needs a bowl of Bolognese.

The sauce was so hearty and tasty that I think I could have served it over shredded paper towels and we’d have eaten it.

I experimented with a favorite recipe and was able to lighten it up without sacrificing a bit of flavor. It can certainly be served with pasta, but to save some calories, carbs and points I served it with spaghetti squash. The sauce was so hearty and tasty that I think I could have served it over shredded paper towels and we’d have eaten it.

Bolognese Magro (Skinny Bolognese)

It’s a long ingredient list, and getting them together is the hardest part of the recipe. You can chop the vegetables in your Cuisinart if you so desire.

Ingredients

2 medium onions, peeled and chopped finely

2 carrots, peeled and chopped finely

2 celery ribs, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 T. Hormel Real Bacon Bits or Pieces, chopped finely (optional)

2 T. olive oil

2 tsp. butter

1 ½ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried thyme

12 oz. (1 bag) Morningstar Farms Veggie Crumbles

2/3 c. white Vermouth (or white wine)

¼ c. tomato paste

28 oz. crushed or pureed tomatoes (or diced tomatoes in sauce)

1/3 c. skim milk

1 pinch grated nutmeg

Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables and garlic, bacon bits, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, basil, oregano and thyme. Stir occasionally and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened.

Stir in the vermouth, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and milk. Add the pinch of nutmeg. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low, simmering uncovered for 30 minutes.

Add the frozen Morningstar Farm veggie crumbles, and stir to mix them into the sauce. Raise the heat to medium-high until the sauce begins to bubble. Lower the heat and simmer another 10-15 minutes.

Serve over pasta or spaghetti squash (which you can cook in the oven while the sauce simmers – cut squash in half, remove seeds, spray baking sheet with Pam and put squash cut side down on the baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes).

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Makes 4 servings, 9 WW points if using spaghetti squash and Parmesan.

I always have a bag of veggie crumbles in the freezer, and the other ingredients in my pantry, so this was easy to whip up when the mood struck. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Buon Appetito,