Healthy building blocks
Family Spaghetti
When choosing from the hundreds of pasta options, be sure to compare important nutritional characteristics. For example, a whole wheat pasta provides three times the dietary fiber and fewer calories per serving compared to traditional enriched pasta. A black bean or red lentil pasta increases your protein and dietary fiber while lowering sugar content. However, it may increase the overall calorie count slightly.
Sauce ingredients:
2 cups organic yellow squash
2 ½ cups organic zucchini squash
1 cup organic baby Bella mushrooms
1 cup organic sweet Vidalia onions
3 tsp minced garlic
5 freshly chopped organic basil leaves
1/2 tsp freshly chopped organic oregano, thyme, and rosemary
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3 tbs organic nutritional yeast
2 tbs organic flaxseed meal
2 (6 oz) cans organic tomato paste
2 (14.5 oz) cans organic diced tomatoes (with basil, garlic, and oregano)
1 (28 oz) can organic crushed tomatoes
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 cups water
16oz seasoned organic ground chicken with tomato, basil, and garlic
Instructions:
1. Chop mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash, and onions to preferred sizes and set aside. If using fresh herbs, wash and prepare at this time, too. (Note: double Italian seasoning if not using fresh herbs).
2. In a large skillet, brown or cook meat (if including in your sauce). Be sure to drain any excess fat or oils.
3. In a large saucepan, add EVOO (recommend organic). Heat to medium to high heat, add onion and minced garlic, and sauté approximately two minutes until soft and translucent.
4. Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, 1 1/2 cups of water, nutritional yeast, and seasoning (less the flaxseed meal). Stir until consistent and cover.
5. Add fully cooked meat to the sauce (if including).
6. Stir regularly for at least 30 minutes over medium heat. (Note: if you are not in a hurry, recommend 45-60 minutes for a slightly sweeter sauce that is worth the wait).
7. In a large saucepan, heat water for your pasta.
8. Add remaining vegetables, ½ cup water, and flaxseed meal.
9. Cook for additional 15 – 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
10. Cook your pasta (al dente is recommended).
11. Strain pasta, put on plate, add sauce… I think you can take it from here.
This recipe yielded 16 (1-cup) servings of sauce. Nutritional facts and information are posted below, as calculated on www.nutritionalvalue.org.
The original recipe for comparison:
The 2023 version of our Family Spaghetti sauce recipe, promoting organic ingredients and larger proportion of vegetables, nutritional yeast and flaxseed meal added, seasoned chicken, and no added cheese produced greater nutritional value with fewer calories per serving.
