Chicken Spaghetti Bolognese
Healthy chicken Bolognese comes together quickly and will leave you feeling satisfied. This comforting meal pairs spaghetti noodles with a rich sauce made with tomatoes, herbs, spices and ground chicken and takes only minutes to prepare.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Bolognese sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1 lb ground chicken
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 pieces bay leaves dried
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp dried Oregano
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
For the spaghetti
- 1 lb dried spaghetti
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese to serve
- Water to cook spaghetti
- Basil to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a dutch oven with oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; saute for 4-5 minutes until the onions turn translucent.
- Add the ground chicken, break it up and cook for 3-5 minutes until the chicken releases the moisture.
- Stir in the chicken broth, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, oregano, black pepper and salt. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes until everything comes together and the sauce thickens a bit. Cover and keep the sauce aside.
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions.
- To a wide pan, add the cooked spaghetti and toss them with the prepared sauce and a splash of pasta water (if the pasta looks dry).
- Once Everything comes together, transfer the spaghetti to a serving bowl and top with some extra sauce. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese and basil and serve.
Notes
- Bulk up the sauce by adding more veggies, including carrots, celery or mushrooms.
- Swap the spaghetti for your favorite pasta noodles, including whole wheat or gluten free pasta.
- For a rich finish, add a splash of heavy cream to the sauce just before serving.
- Reserve a bit of the pasta water to add to the sauce if it’s too thick.
- Try fire roasted tomatoes for a smoky flavor.
- Add crushed red pepper to give the sauce a bit of heat.
- You can also use ground turkey instead of ground chicken.
- Choose ground chicken that has a mixture of breast and thigh meat for more moisture rather than just ground chicken breast.
- You can make this with leftover shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken. Skip the step of browning the meat and add the shredded chicken to the sauce ingredients.
Nutrition
Calories: 723kcal | Carbohydrates: 107g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 1091mg | Potassium: 1636mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 601IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 6mg