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.
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.