Vegetarian Bolognese

I asked Owen what he wanted for dinner and he replied "pasta" as a fairly frequent response. I remembered that I recently came accross a recipe for a vegetarian bolognese sauce that I wanted to try, so pasta it was! This meal was packed with fiber, veggies, potassium and protein. It tasted like it was from a restaurant. So Yummy!!! I even had seconds, and I rarely do. I will be soon doubling the recipe next time so I can freeze it for a quick easy dinner after baby #2 arrives!

Though you can use any noodle you prefer, I used whole wheat angel hair pasta. You can make this meal gluten free by using GF pasta. There is one I recently tried made from quinoa and it's even better than standard pasta I think!

Bean Bolognese
Recipe by Eating Well Magazine

1 14-ounce can salad beans, or other beans (I just used canelli), rinsed, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation
1.Put a large pot of water on to boil. Mash 1/2 cup beans in a small bowl with a fork.

2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add onion, carrot, celery and salt; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.

Add garlic and bay leaf; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds.

Add wine; increase heat to high and boil until most of the liquid evaporates, 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juices, 2 tablespoons parsley and the mashed beans.

Bring to a lively simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 6 minutes.

Add the remaining whole beans; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes more.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in the boiling water until just tender, about 9 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.

4. Divide the pasta among 4 bowls. Discard the bay leaf and top the pasta with the sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan and the remaining parsley.