Kids Magic Marinara Bolognese
We all have our go-to recipes that we keep in the rotation monthly. The dishes that our whole entire family can enjoy may even get a spot in my weekly rotation….like my Kids Bolognese! I call this one Kids Bolognese because it’s a much simpler version of the Bolognese we make for our fancy grown up dinner parties. My kids also get a kick out of the fact there are tons of veggies in the sauce and you would never know it!
Kids Magic Marinara Bolognese
Ingredients:
- 2 cups finely chopped veggies (works best in a food processor)
(roughly 1 celery stalk, 1 carrot, 1/2 small onion, 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, 4 cloves of garlic)
- 1 lb ground turkey or ground beef ( I prefer the dark meat with higher fat content)
- 3 tbl olive oil
- 3 tbl butter
- 1/4 cup grated parmigiana reggiano
- 40 oz jar of marinara ( I like Rao’s)
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
- 18 ounces cooked al dente pasta
- salt and pepper
Directions:
- In a large pot over medium heat, add in olive oil and butter.
- Add the finely chopped veggies and season with salt and pepper.
- Once the veggies start to brown and become fragrant (8-10 minutes) add in ground meat.
- With a wooden spoon break up meat and cook until meat is thoroughly cooked and well incorporated with the veggies.
- Add in the marinara sauce and give a good mix and lower heat to simmer.
- Add grated parmesan and give a good stir every 5 minutes making sure nothing sticks to bottom of pan. If using, add in parmesan rind and simmer for 20 minutes.
- In a saucepan add the cooked sauce and cooked pasta tossing to make sure sauce coats the pasta evenly. To loosen up the sauce, add the pasta water a couple tbl at a time.
- Serve with more freshly grated parmesan!
