March 24, 2010

Chicken Bolognese Sauce – Simple Healthy Recipe

Chicken Bolognese is an easy recipe that is fresh, lighter and healthier then the classic Bolognese Sauce. Chicken Bolognese gives you all the great flavor but a lot less fat than the original version in a lot less time. You won’t miss any of the taste. Trust me. This bolognese is delicious.

Ingredients

1 pound of ground chicken

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ celery stalk, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

½ cup white wine or (I like to use) Sweet Vermouth

1 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup Fat Free Half & Half

Directions

In a medium pot, heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Sauté until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the ground chicken, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and brown for a few minutes. Then, turn up heat and add the wine being sure to stir and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2 minutes and add tomato paste, chicken stock and crushed tomatoes and basil.

Simmer uncovered over low heat stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. If sauce is too thick, add a little more chicken stock. Taste the sauce and if it needs it, add more salt and pepper, to taste. Add the fat free Half & Half and serve over 1 pound of cooked multi-grain pasta or regular pasta with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

P.S. If you want the maximum flavor, you can use veal and/or beef, which are a little more fattening and even add heavy cream (wink).