As I wrote about yesterday, I'm currently trying to avoid tomatoes and undertake a low-salicylate Paleo diet. I usually use a lot of tomatoes in my cooking, as they are a great base for sauces and meals. My favourite dishes, ragu, bolognese and chilli all use lots of tomatoes, so I've been experimenting to find an alternative.
Since tomatoes are a nightshade, this recipe will be helpful to those avoiding nightshades too. I've also just realized that tomatoes have quadrupled in price in the last few months – so this is also good for the budget!
I used carrots and beetroot to make the “tomato” sauce, which I then used exactly as I would a real tomato sauce with the rest of the ingredients in this bolognese. I'm not that keen on beetroot on it’s own but in this dish with all of the other flavours, it was a great addition.
Tomato-Free Bolognese Recipe
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Blender
- Saute Pan
Ingredients
- Carrots I used about 9
- Beetroot I used 4
- Leek diced
- 3 diced onions
- Parsnip
- 7 mushrooms sliced
- Pork mince 500g
- Beef mince 500g
- Coconut oil
- Coconut aminos
- Garlic powder
- Oregano
- Cinnamon
- Cayenne pepper
- Ground chilli
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- I peeled and roughly chopped the carrots, beetroot & parsnip and added them to a large pan of boiling water
- Meanwhile, in another pan I sautéed the onions in some coconut oil until they turned translucent
- Next, I added the mince and a splash of coconut aminos
- Once the meat had all browned, I added the leek, mushrooms and a small amount of each of the herbs and spices (I don’t use very much, but adjust according to how hot you like it – and how little you like beetroot!)
- I allowed the meat mixture to simmer on a low heat, stirring regularly, and adding water from the carrot & beetroot pan as it dried out
- Once the carrots and beetroot's started to soften, I turned the heat off and puréed in the blender
- With the tomato-free “tomato sauce” ready, I added it to the meat pan and allowed it to simmer for a few minutes before serving
If you have any suggestions for alternatives to tomatoes, please share in the comments below…
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