A vegetarian meal that takes advantage of the bountiful fall harvest
Sometimes I need to take a break from carbs. Those that know me, know I really, really love my carbs. Having said that, once and a while I like to return to my teen years and live as a vegetarian. This glorious Fall Veggie Ragu on Zucchini Noodles is a rich delicious blend of squash, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots and parsnips. Served over a pile of zucchini noodles, I guarantee you won’t even miss the carbs!
It’s a simple fact; fruits and vegetables are filled with nutrients our bodies need to function at their best. Meals packed with produce can help you lower the risk for heart disease, lose weight and add more fibre, nutrients and antioxidants in your diet. More than ¼ of Canadians don’t believe they have enough time to prepare fresh produce to eat. This prevents them from consuming more. Recipes like this Fall Veggie Ragu on Zucchini Noodles use simple familiar produce to create healthy meals in just 30 minutes. That’s right, just 30 minutes!
Have I mentioned before that I’m in love with my spiralizer? OMG you have got to try this crazy tool. See my recipes for Mom’s Awesome Meat Sauce or Rainbow Salad with Blueberries, where I show a photos of my spiralizer and bit more detail.
This Fall Veggie Ragu is a wonderful alternative to traditional meat-based sauce. Use it over pasta or rice or just enjoy it on it’s own.
Fall Veggie Ragu with Zucchini Noodles
EMAIL Recipe Share on FacebookIngredients
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced
- 1 medium parsnip. finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 cup squash or rutabaga, finely diced
- 4 cloved garlic, minced
- 1 – 227 g package cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 - 398 ml cans chopped tomatoes, with juice
- 1 – 6 oz can tomato paste
- ¼ up fresh basil, minced or 1 Tbsp dried basil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 zucchini per person, spiralized to fine noodles (or any type of pasta noodle)
- grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- To a large dutch oven, add oil, carrots, parsnip, peppers and squash. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, mushrooms and cook and for 1 minute. Add in tomatoes with juices, tomato paste and basil, bring to a boil. Turn down heat to simmer, cook for 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, if making pasta noodles, prepare to package directions. For Zucchini noodles, use a spiralizer to make fine ribbons or noodles. They can be eating as is, or sauté for one minute in 1 Tsp canola oil just prior to serving.
- Serve Fall Veggie Ragu over noodles and sprinkle with additional chopped fresh basil and parmesan cheese.
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