Roasted Tomato Bolognese and Sweet Potato Noodles

Need to throw out the disclaimer now that this is definitely not a quick meal prep recipe whatsoever! This is a Rachel Ray recipe that my dad makes a lot and always turns out amazing, so I gave it a try. We both use coconut milk instead of normal milk, and I opted for sweet potato glass noodles (found at Wegmans in the Asian aisle) instead of bucatini noodles. I also thought this meal could use some vegetables, so I threw in some zucchini noodles as well. Besides those swaps, below is the recipe as-is, which serves 4 people - yes, I had to increase some ingredients for my meal prep. You can tell from the picture that my Bolognese is more meat based and that's because I used about the same sauce ingredients and just significantly increased the beef amount. I also used less EVOO then suggested, but that was just to keep the fat content of each meal a little lower for my needs. Although this took a little more prep then I would have liked, it was all worth it to eat this amazing meal all week long! If you have the time to give this recipe a try, whether for meal prep or just dinner one night for the family or friends, I highly recommend it! This homemade Bolognese sauce is full of only whole-food ingredients and turned out absolutely amazing! Pair it with whatever "noodle" that fits your needs and enjoy! 

Roasted Tomato Bolognese and Sweet Potato Noodles
Ingredients

• 32 cocktail tomatoes (they’re a little larger than cherry tomatoes) or 3 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 Tablespoons thyme leaves stripped from stems
• EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for liberal drizzling (4 tablespoons or so)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 pounds 80% lean ground beef
• 1 small onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup chicken or veal stock
• A handful of parsley, chopped
• A handful of basil, torn
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 pound sweet potato glass noodles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, arrange tomatoes, garlic and thyme. Drizzle with EVOO and toss to coat. Roast 30 minutes until the tomatoes burst. Slide everything into a food processor and purée.
3. Heat a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, and beef. Season with salt and pepper, and brown and crumble. Add onions and cook until soft; add stock. Add tomato purée and stir in parsley, basil and milk. Simmer 30-40 minutes to thicken. 
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and noodles, and cook to al dente. Reserve 1 cup starchy water then drain noodles and return it to the hot pot. Toss noodles with starchy water, half the sauce and a drizzle or two of EVOO to coat. 
5. Serve pasta topped with more sauce.

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Original recipe found here