This low FODMAP pasta uses a healthy Bolognese sauce with ground turkey that’s packed with shredded vegetables and is perfect over spaghetti. It’s a quick cooking recipe that’s ideal for a gluten-free weeknight meal. The crème fraiche and Parmesan add a touch of richness, but you can skip them for a completely dairy-free version!
Recently, my friend Cleo had me over for dinner for a lovely Sunday roast. When I arrived, the kitchen smelled amazing, the pork shoulder already in the oven. But I was momentarily distracted from the main event by what seemed to be the superior dish: a pot of Bolognese sauce with ground turkey that her children were enjoying before the grownups sat down to eat.
Despite the non gluten-free pasta, I couldn’t help myself but take a spoonful of the turkey Bolognese sauce. It was so magical, I was immediately filled with envy towards the two small red heads at the dinner table eating spaghetti and cursed the fact that I was over the age of 5.
Luckily, I still managed to walk away with the recipe. Cleo’s secret was adding shredded vegetables to the ground turkey, a great trick for the kiddos since they melt away in the sauce. And her second trick was adding a few dollops of crème fraiche to finish the sauce for a little added decadence that you miss out on with a leaner protein.
Luckily, both of these secret ingredients still lend themselves to a low FODMAP spaghetti sauce.
Making low FODMAP pasta without onion and garlic
Without her knowing it, Cleo’s tactics work perfectly for turning a turkey Bolognese into a low FODMAP pasta sauce. What you miss out on in terms of onions and garlic, you get to replace with the shredded vegetables—in this case, carrots and a low FODMAP quantity of zucchini.
I leave my vegetables unpeeled so that you can get the maximum dose of fiber, which as you’ll learn in my new cookbook CARBIVORE, is so important for balancing your blood sugar when indulging in larger plates of carbs (like pasta). You can also fold in some spinach at the end for an even more healthy turkey Bolognese.
The last element is the pasta itself. You’ll want to use a gluten-free noodle, preferably spaghetti, penne, or rigatoni (if you can find it). Pasta made from corn, rice or quinoa can be a little tricky, so make sure to review my tips on how to cook gluten-free pasta.
How to make a dairy-free Bolognese sauce with turkey
Classic Bolognese sauce is usually made with milk, which is off limits on a low FODMAP diet. For those who aren’t full dairy-free, the crème fraiche (and a little Parmesan) adds a lovely creamy finish.
There are certain categories of dairy that tend to be lower in FODMAP’s. Fermented dairy, like crème fraiche, has a reduced amount of lactose. And hard, aged cheeses also tend to have less lactose.
You can easily omit both ingredients to make this turkey Bolognese sauce dairy-free as well. But on a low FODMAP diet it’s so rare that we get that added decadence, I say go for it if you tolerate it.
The best Low FODMAP spaghetti sauce
This quick Bolognese sauce with ground turkey cuts down on time by using a store bought jarred low FODMAP tomato sauce. This brand is one of my favorites. But you can also make your low FODMAP tomato sauce from scratch using the recipe in my cookbook SIBO Made Simple.
This low FODMAP pasta sauce is another variation that would be delicious in this turkey Bolognese recipe! And when in doubt, you can find a few more ideas that can be tweaked (removing garlic and onion) from this round-up of the best gluten-free sauces.
More low FODMAP recipes you’ll love:
- Bruschetta Low FODMAP Pasta Salad
- Low FODMAP Chicken Cacciatore
- Low FODMAP Lasagna with Eggplant
- Low FODMAP Vegetable Soup
- Quick Low FODMAP Oatmeal
- Low FODMAP Chicken Broth
- Low FODMAP Butter Chicken
Read on for this low FODMAP pasta Bolognese recipe, and also check out these additional low FODMAP dinner ideas!
Also, this pasta would taste great served alongside a simple starter salad using this low FODMAP dressing.
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Low FODMAP Pasta Bolognese with Ground Turkey
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey or chicken (I prefer dark meat)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 medium carrots coarsely grated
- 1 medium zucchini 1/2 pound, coarsely grated
- 24 ounces low FODMAP pasta sauce
- 12 ounces gluten-free pasta
- 2 tablespoons crème fraiche optional
- ¼ cup grated parmesan optional, plus more for serving
Instructions
- In a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the turkey meat in an even layer and season with the salt, paprika and red pepper. Cook until a golden crust has formed on the bottom, a few minutes. Break up the ground turkey into bite-sized pieces with your spatula and continue to cook until the meat bits are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots and zucchini; sauté with the meat until soft, another 5 minutes.
- Carefully pour in the tomato sauce and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and allow to gently bubble until the sauce has thickened and the flavors developed, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the gluten-free pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve 1/3 cup of pasta water, then drain the noodles and set aside.
- Off the heat, stir the crème fraiche and half the parmesan (omit for a dairy-free version) into the low FODMAP pasta sauce. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as necessary.
- Toss the pasta together with the sauce, adding some of the reserved water if necessary to loosen it. Garnish with the remaining parmesan and serve immediately.
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