Do you ever have heated discussions in your family over the most unimportant things? Maybe it’s a silent war about which way the toilet roll should face. One person always has it up, the other down. And you bet each person believes their way IS the right way.
Well in our family, many heated debates take place over food. I like to call this ‘food politics.’
Everyone has their quirks, and I think it makes a person much more exciting. If you’ve ever read about my Dad before, you’d know he’s a pretty quirky guy. Apart from being a bulk buying superstar, he also thinks he is the Masterchef of our maison. Never mind that he rarely steps foot in the kitchen to make something other than a deluxe bowl of special K; Dad knows best.
Or so he believes.
Dad & I at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
He comes up with strange ideas about what might make a great meal better. He’s not saying that he doesn’t enjoy what you’ve served him 110%, he just believes improvements can always be made. This is especially true for one meal in particular: spaghetti bolognaise.
The ideal ingredients that should or shouldn’t go in to the perfect pasta sauce cause much angst and anxiety in this household. ‘Did you add grated carrots?’, ‘What about red wine?’, ‘What kind of meat did you use?’, ‘Is there bacon in this?’. Getting the sauce just right is a labour of love, and requires lots of tasting and tweaking. But then I also have an added challenge. I can’t eat onions. Or garlic.
These two ingredients are the basis of most great sauces and pretty much any recipe for spaghetti sauce starts out with frying an onion with loads of garlic. So I put my thinking cap on, and researched which ingredients would give me great flavour without the belly ache. After a short trip to the store, I put my armor apron on, and got to work.
I let my pot of goodness sizzle away for a few hours and set off to the gym. When I came home, the aroma that filled the house was amazing. Maybe there was hope yet for this sauce.
I had mixed feelings of excitement and apprehension as we sat down to eat. I watched my Dad’s face as he swirled then ate his pasta, and waited for the remarks. A few minutes passed and nothing was said. Then I looked around at the rest of my family devouring the dish. Complete silence. A good indicator that everyone was really enjoying the meal, and it was indeed a job well done. I urge you to give this recipe a try; it is a definite keeper in our house now, and most importantly Dad approved!
Low FODMAP Spaghetti Bolognaise
Prep Time: 15 mins Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp garlic infused olive oil
- 500g lean mince beef
- 1 bunch chives, finely shopped
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 1 large zucchini, grated
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp marjoram
- Pinch of thyme
- Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
- 500g jar tomato passata with basil (check label to make sure no onion or garlic)
- 2 x 400g cans Italian tomatoes in juice (No added salt/sugar variety)
- Sea salt & cracked pepper to taste
- Gluten free spaghetti/pasta to serve
Method
- Heat 1 tbsp garlic infused olive oil in a pan over medium meat. Add beef mince, and cook for several minutes until brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Heat remaining olive oil in pan and add chives, carrot, zucchini and celery. Cook for 5 – 6 minutes until fragrant. Add remaining spices and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add tomato passata, canned tomatoes, and beef pack into pan. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat, cover with a lid, and let sauce cook on low for 30 minutes.
- Turn off heat and let sauce sit at room temperature until ready to serve.
- To serve: Reheat sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally. Cook gluten free pasta according to package directions, top with sauce and serve with a big green salad.
To download a printable pdf click here: Low FODMAP Spaghetti Bolognaise
wow … yummy, and nicely vegetarian. Thanks for giving me a great idea for tomorrow night’s dinner!
Looks yummy (I am hungry – it’s time for dinner!)…Oh, and in our house the toilet paper always folds over never under! My dad once read a book that said the paper folding over signified wealth and prosperity…..I figured it can’t hurt and have been doing it ever since
haha….i like that!!! the more wealth and prosperity omens the better
I love the range of herbs you use, I can be slack in that department at time with spag bol. Also the use of chili is really great, adds that other dimension, just a little heat. Sounds yum and so glad you dad approved.
yeah the chili is subtle but definitely steps it up a notch
What a great idea. The combination of those vegetables in the bolognaise,you don t see often. The question is what cheese did you use? Thanks.bye.
I didn’t use any cheese in this recipe as I needed to make it dairy free. I top mine with nutritional yeast which has a slightly nutty cheesy flavour to it. For those who don’t have intolerances feel free to use a good quality parmesan
Good job! Cooking for others can be so much pressure, haha! I’m pretty fortunate in that I usually only have to worry about myself & my honey ~ although, when we have parties, we always make sure there are vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, etc. options for whatever sensitivity someone might have. Best to just cover all the bases, we figure.
how did you know that i needed a FODMAP recipe?! perfect!
i had no idea! you’re totally welcome
how are you going on the plan so far?
I’m gonna have to try this. I love pasta, and this looks pretty great.
I love bolognese! Complete silence is always the best compliment.
Thanks for reading my blog!
Just wanted to say a massive THANK YOU for sharing this, Since going on my low FODMAP diet I have found it difficult to enjoy food, as nothing tastes the same, but this recipe has given my hope again! It was so easy and tastes amazing, it was probably one of the most delicious pasta I’ve had pre and post low FODMAP!
yay! i’m so happy you enjoyed it
I just wanted to say thank you for such an informative and interesting resource. I just started the FODMAP diet about a week ago on advice from a dietitian. I am not a comfortable cook and I needed to find simple recipes for tasty food that my children would also enjoy. Your recipes fit the bill. My first attempt was the bolognaise and the kids loved it as did I. I did add a little maple syrup as I like my pasta sauces a little on the sweet side. Delicious. Thank you! I have a salmon slice in the oven right now. How long does it last in the fridge as I would like to cook ahead of time and use it for packed lunches?
Hi Blaise,
I’m so happy you and the kids liked the spaghetti. I think the salmon slice would last about 4 days wrapped up in the fridge. You could also slice it into individual portions and freeze it for later. We all have busy lives so freezer friendly meals like this are a time saver!
You are a saviour with this low FODMAP spaghetti. Love it. Thank you so much.
Thanks Rebecca, we really love it too (and so do our tummies!)
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Thank you for such a yummy recipe. I cooked this for my kids tonight and they loved it, must say I thought it was delicious and would happily sit down to this myself. My daughter has been put on a low FODMAP diet after years of ongoing stomach issues. She would sit up and force 20 prunes down to try and solve some issues not knowing until we saw a dietition that this was only making the problem worse. I look forward to following you and cooking more from your blog. WELL DONE!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and that your daughter is feeling better. Stomach issues can really impact our general wellbeing so figuring out what works and getting to a healthier happier place is always nice. I’ll have more recipes to come in a bit
Hmm it seems like your blog ate my first comment (it was extremely long) so I
guess I’ll just sum it up what I wrote and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog.
I too am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new to everything. Do you have any recommendations for inexperienced blog writers? I’d definitely appreciate
it.
Just write what you love and what you know! Passion and personality is what attracts people to your blog. Best of luck
This spag bog was awesome, we all enjoyed. Thank you