Beef Bolognese
over Spaghetti with Zucchini Ribbons & Parmesan
- Wheat
- Milk
A big bowl of pasta never fails to satisfy—it’s quick, carby, comforting, and our go-to no matter the weather. When you add bites of Italian pork sausage, tender zucchini ribbons, and Parmesan to the equation, you’ve reached another level of deliciousness entirely. Ready to enjoy bite after bite of twirly spaghetti cloaked in this flavor-boosted Bolognese? We thought so.
Ingredients
1 clove
Garlic
1 unit
Zucchini
6 ounce
Spaghetti
(Contains: Wheat)
10 ounce
Ground Beef
1 tablespoon
Tuscan Heat Spice
14 ounce
Marinara Cup
3 tablespoon
Parmesan Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
1 teaspoon
Olive Oil
1 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Salt
Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce. • Peel and mince garlic. Trim ends from zucchini. Using a peeler, shave zucchini lengthwise into thin ribbons, rotating as you go, until you get to the seedy core; discard core.
• Once water is boiling, add spaghetti to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. • Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water (1 cup for 4 servings), then drain.
• While pasta cooks, remove sausage from casing if necessary; discard casing. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. • Stir in garlic and Tuscan Heat Spice; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
Swap in chicken sausage or ground beef for pork sausage.
• Add marinara to pan with sausage mixture, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer until flavors meld and sauce has slightly reduced, 3-4 minutes.
• Add drained spaghetti, ¼ cup reserved pasta cooking water (½ cup for 4 servings), and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4) to pan with sauce. Toss to thoroughly combine. • Separate zucchini ribbons with your hands, then stir into pasta until slightly softened, 1-2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until spaghetti is thoroughly coated in sauce.
• Divide pasta between bowls; top with Parmesan and serve.
Ground Beef is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 160°.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many enjoyed the dish, though some found it needed more seasoning or spice for deeper flavor.
- Ease of prep: Quick and simple to make, with zucchini ribbons adding a fresh touch to this classic pasta dish.
- Suggestions: Consider sautéing zucchini separately or cutting into smaller pieces for better texture and flavor integration.
- Leftovers: Generous portions often provided tasty leftovers, with some able to stretch the meal for multiple servings.
- Spice level: The Tuscan Heat Spice received mixed reviews; adjust amount to taste for preferred level of heat 🌶️.
Reviews from our home cooks
Yum very tasty, the sauce not very acidic, perfect seasoning. Did add some thyme and oregano. Since husband not a zucchini fan, did make the ribbons cooked in the same pot as the sauce after I removed the sauce and added some fresh garlic. What a meal, we really got into it. Also, I like my main meal and a side dish so the zucchini on the side worked out great for both of us and no extra work and no extra clean up.
One of our favorites - your pasta dishes are generous and the red sauces are awesome! I did chop the zucchini ribbons a bit smaller as it seems weird to keep them so long especially with the spaghetti. But a great way to add a veggie to one of my favorite dishes.
It was a fine meal and I ate all of it. I was expecting carrot and celery for a traditional Bolognese sauce but I didn't read the recipe ahead. The zucchini was very squishy pre-cooked. Overall the sauce flavors were pretty good.
Love this one, but we never put the zucchini in the pasta. We always put it on the side. Because when you put the zucchini in the pasta, the zucchini becomes mushy.
A good family recipe, and easy to separate the zucchini for extra picky eaters. Big hit for me and the 4 year old!
I cut up the zucchini instead of ribbons. It's a lot to eat! So much so that it made 2 meals for us!
The zucchini ribbons were a great fresh addition to something that's a usual staple in our home. I love that it added some more flavor!
This was one of the best meals I had. Super easy to make and the addition of the zucchini to the pasta was great.
Really good! I cut the zucchini into rounds layered them in a cast iron pan and roasted at high heat. It was crispy and delicious.
Delicious and easy, and really liked the zoodles from scratch (better than buying). I made them separately and everyone could add if they wanted, which turned out to be me and my daughter only, and just a good way for me to cut down on the pasta portion and still get a lot of the meal.
