Description
This Best Chicken Bolognese combines tender ground chicken with aromatic vegetables and a rich tomato sauce, served over your favorite pasta for a hearty, flavorful meal that’s quick to prepare and perfect for any night of the week.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Protein & Vegetables
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 cup carrot (1 large carrot), finely diced
- 1 cup baby bella or cremini mushrooms, finely diced
- 3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
Pantry & Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, more or less to taste
- 28 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 - 2 tablespoon butter
Pasta
- 16 oz pasta of choice (fettuccine, brown rice, quinoa, lentil, chickpea, gluten-free)
Instructions
- Heat Oil & Cook Vegetables: In a large dutch oven or pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add finely diced onions, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook for 4 – 5 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add Ground Chicken & Seasoning: Add ground chicken, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat as it cooks. Cook for about 3 – 4 minutes until the chicken is mostly cooked, still pink is okay.
- Add Tomatoes & Liquid: Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, chopped basil, bay leaf, and butter. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 – 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. For maximum flavor, simmer for 30 – 35 minutes.
- Cook Pasta: Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain and reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
- Combine & Serve: Remove the bay leaf from the sauce. Add cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Use reserved pasta water to adjust consistency, if needed. Serve topped with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- For a keto option, serve with zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.
- Use your preferred pasta, such as chickpea, quinoa, lentil, or gluten-free varieties.
- Omit or substitute butter with dairy-free alternative for dairy-free version.
- Ground turkey can be used instead of chicken.
- Cremini or white mushrooms can replace baby bella mushrooms.
- Crushed tomatoes can be swapped for diced tomatoes.
- Replace chicken broth with low-sodium vegetable broth for vegetarian option.
- Leftovers can be stored in airtight containers for up to 6 days, and frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (including pasta)
- Calories: 361 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 427 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 53 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 51 mg
