What’s for Dinner? Bolognese with Wholegrain Pasta & Totally Hidden Veggies

Lure any man or child home early for dinner with this traditional meat sauce for pasta or lasagna, doctored up with seven sneaky veggies, whole grains, and calcium. And forget simmering for three hours – this sauce tastes just great after just 30 minutes.

Now, it?s hard to imagine that this pasta with meat sauce and hidden spinach, broccoli, peas and oat bran tastes just as good as it?s traditional counterpart – but it does. And check out these how these nutritionals stack up against the traditional version: Bowling Night Bolognese has 52% less calories, 74% less fat and 40% more fiber.

So you get the same great taste and satisfaction (check out the recent blind taste test of this recipe on ABC News), while you save 447 calories and 28 grams of fat per pot! Each full-sized serving has only 420 Calories, only 12.1g of fat, only 55mg of cholesterol, plus 5 full grams of fiber. This is why my philosophy is, ?Why not make every recipe as healthy as it can be??

Enjoy in good health,

Missy Chase Lapine, The Sneaky Chef

Bowling Night Bolognese with Wholegrain Pasta

Makes 6 servings

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-size onion, finely chopped (about 1 1?2 cup)
• 1 ounce turkey bacon, finely chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey (or mix both), crumbled (to make this recipe ultra lean, use ground turkey breast)
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 3?4 cup Green or Orange Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe #3 or #2 below)
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 cup evaporated skim milk
• 1?4 cup oat bran
• 1?2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Optional extra boost: 1 carrot or celery rib, finely chopped

Heat the oil over medium heat in a deep skillet or earthenware pot. Add the onions and cook until they are slightly translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the carrot and celery (if using) and saut? for another 5 minutes. Add the turkey bacon and beef (or turkey), stirring to break it up, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the meat is no longer red. Stir in the garlic, Green or Orange Puree, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, evaporated milk, oat bran, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

To serve, add cooked pasta of any shape to the pot of sauce and toss to coat every piece well. Top with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Make-Ahead Recipe #2: Orange Puree

Makes about 2 cups of puree

• 1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks
• 2 to 3 tablespoons water

In a medium-sized pot, cover the sweet potatoes and carrots with cold water and boil for about 20 minutes, until carrots are very tender. If the carrots aren?t thoroughly cooked, they?ll leave telltale little nuggets of vegetables in recipes, which will reveal their presence to your family – a gigantic no-no for the Sneaky Chef.

Drain the sweet potatoes and carrots and put them in the food processor with two tablespoons of water. Puree on high until smooth; no pieces of carrots or potatoes should remain. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree, but the less water, the better.

This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store another 2 cups. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1?4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

Make-Ahead Recipe #3: Green Puree

Makes about 2 cups of puree

• 2 cups raw baby spinach leaves
• 2 cups broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
• 1cup sweet green peas, frozen
• 2 to 3 tablespoons water

If using raw spinach, thoroughly wash it, even if the package says ?prewashed.?

To prepare on the stovetop, pour about 2 inches of water into a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put a vegetable steamer basket into the pot, add the spinach and broccoli, and steam for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the frozen peas to the basket for the last 2 minutes of steaming. Drain.

To prepare in the microwave, place the broccoli and spinach in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes, until very tender. Add peas for last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain.

Place the vegetables in the bowl of your food processor along with 2 tablespoons of water. Puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree.

This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store another 2 cups. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1?4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

About The Sneaky Chef: The Sneaky Chef is the brainchild of Missy Chase Lapine, whose New York Times bestseller, The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids? Favorite Meals (Running Press, March 2007) inspired a whole new brand in the healthy eating/lifestyles category. Missy is the former publisher of Eating Well magazine and the founder of a natural baby product line Baby Spa?. She is currently on the Culinary Arts faculty of The New School, in New York City and is also a collaborator with The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a partnership between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, helping schools serve healthier lunches. Missy serves on the Children?s Advisory Council of Morgan Stanley Children?s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian where Sneaky Chef recipes are served to patients. Her highly anticipated second book, The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man in the Kitchen, debuted in April. Look for Missy?s easy recipes every month at Modern Mom.