Buckwheat Pasta with Grilled Vegetable Bolognese

Looking for a quick weeknight meal for your family that is healthy, tasty, gluten free, full of veggies & free from refined carbohydrates? Look no further! Buckwheat pasta is your new family favourite! Buckwheat pasta is both delicious and nutritious, plus it makes a fantastic substitute for conventional pasta. It's a great weeknight meal as it is quick and you can use any vegetables you have laying around at home. The whole family will love this and probably won't even notice it's buckwheat!

What I love about it:

- No refined carbohydrates

- Gluten free

- Loads of veggies

- Great source of protein

- Quick & easy

- Super tasty

- Can be made into a vegan meal by omitting the beef mince

Let's talk about Buckwheat!

Buckwheat:

- Surprisingly it's not actually a wheat, it's a seed related to rhubarb & is high in nutrients

- It's a complex carbohydrate, meaning it releases energy slowly throughout the day & you stay fuller for longer after eating it

- Rich in magnesium - which I have explained the benefits of in other recipes

- High in fibre - Fibre helps to maintain a healthy digestive system & helps regulate blood sugar levels

- Great source of protein - which we all know is fantastic for muscle growth & repair, energy levels, nervous system support, liver detoxification and so much more

- Contains rutin - Rutin is an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. It assists in immune function & reduces oxidative stress in the body

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RECIPE

Ingredients

300g buckwheat pasta

500g mince beef

2 tins crushed tomato

500ml of beef stock/bone broth

2 large mushrooms

1 zucchini

1 eggplant

1 capsicum

2 cups spinach

1 onion

5 cloves of garlic

handful of capers

handful of olives

2 tablespoons mixed dried Italian herbs

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

chili flakes to preferred taste

salt & pepper

parmesan

Method:

1. Slice zucchini, eggplant and capsicum longways thinly & place on

an oven tray with a drizzle of olive oil.

2. Place under a medium heat grill until soft

3. Meanwhile, fry off diced onion and crushed garlic in a large pan

4. Add mince and stir until cooked

5. Add crushed tomatoes, stock, grilled vegetables,

sliced mushrooms, chili, paprika & mixed herbs

6. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes

7. While sauce is simmering, bring water to boil in a pot & cook buckwheat pasta as

per instructions on the packet (normally cooks quicker than regular pasta)

8. Add spinach, olives & capers to sauce mix

9. Season with salt & pepper to taste

10. Drain pasta

11. Serve pasta & sauce with grated parmesan on top

You can adjust the flavours or

use different veggies according to your personal taste!

Enjoy!

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Just remember, every time you eat is an opportunity to nourish your body. So make good choices!