This Healthy BBQ Spaghetti Bolognese Bake has a veggie loaded ground beef filling flavored with barbecue sauce! A customizable bbq baked spaghetti bolognese with vegetables, leftover meat sauce or even spaghetti, it truly is an amazing pasta bake.
Ingredients
Pasta:
10ozWhole Grain Spaghetti
Filling:
2tspOlive Oil, Divided
1lbExtra Lean Ground Turkey, or Chicken/Beef, 454g
½cupOnion, Finely Chopped, 80g
2tspMinced Garlic, about 2 cloves
2cupsCelery, Diced, 202g, about 3 large stalks
1cupBroccoli, Chopped, 180g
1cupCarrots, Chopped, 128g
½cupBell Peppers, Chopped, 75g
¾cupLow Sodium Chicken or Vegetable Broth
½cupBarbecue Sauce
1tspSalt
½tspBlack Pepper
¼tspCayenne Pepper
Optional Topping:
Shredded Cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cook Pasta:
Bring 6 cups water to a boil in pot, add pasta, and cook for about 10 minutes until al dente (according to package instructions). Drain out most the liquid.
Cook Filling:
While pasta is cooking, heat a nonstick pot or saucepan over medium-high, pour 1 tsp oil and add meat. Break down into crumbs and cook until no longer pink. Transfer to plate and set aside.
Pour remaining oil on pan and fry onion, garlic, celery, broccoli, carrots and bell peppers until onions are translucent and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Return meat to pan, add broth, barbecue sauce, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper; Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer about 5 minutes till mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat.
Prepare Pie:
Pour filling into a 2 qt (8 cups) casserole dish, deep dish 9” pie plate or 8 x 8 " baking pan, and smooth out.
Spread cooked pasta on top, and optionally shredded cheese.
Bake for about 15 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition information is calculated using ground Turkey, whole grain spaghetti and no cheese.
Storage:
Let the pie/casserole cool completely before storing.
Fridge: 4 days in an airtight glass container. Reheat in a microwave or (bolognese only) in the oven at 350°F for about 8-10 minutes.
Freezer: Bolognese only - 1 month assembled and wrapped in plastic wrap and then placed in freezer bag. Thaw, top with spaghetti and then bake.