Description
A delicious, low-carb crowd-pleasing way to serve bolognaise.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
500 g lean beef mince
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp (5 ml) dried origanum
1 tsp (5 ml) dried rosemary
1 tin (400 g) chopped tomatoes
¼ C (60 ml) tomato puree or passata
¼ C (60 ml) chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 x punnets (+- 800 g) large courgettes/zucchini
¼ C (60 ml) fresh breadcrumbs (optional)
¼ C (60 ml) finely grated Parmesan cheese
handful of chopped parsley
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 220 °C.
Heat the oil in a medium-sized, heavy-based saucepan, and brown the mince in 2 portions. Remove and set aside.
Add the onion, garlic, origanum and rosemary to the same pan and sauté for +- 5 minutes, or until translucent and fragrant.
Add the mince back to the saucepan, together with the chopped tomatoes, puree and fresh basil. Simmer uncovered for about 20 -30 minutes, or until flavourful and reduced. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Slice the zucchini lengthways, run a teaspoon down the length of the flesh to scoop the seeds out. Discard the seeds.
Place the zucchini ‘boats’ into an ovenproof baking dish. Season and drizzle with olive oil. Place in the oven and roast for +- 20 minutes, or until cooked through and slightly charred.
Remove from the oven and spoon the reduced bolognaise mixture into the zucchini cavities.
Mix the breadcrumbs and Parmesan together to form a gratin topping. Sprinkle the gratin on top of the mince-covered zucchini’s (omit the breadcrumbs for a carb-free version and top with Parmesan only).
Bake in the oven for a further 15 minutes, or until the gratin is crispy and golden.
Serve immediately with a fresh Caprese-inspired salad of tomato, mozzarella, basil and rocket.
