Spaghetti Bolognaise ( nightshade free)
GLUTEN FREE II DAIRY FREE II NUT FREE II SOY FREE II SESAME FREE
Deadly nightshade-free bolognese sauce. This is a really rich, beautiful sauce that you would not believe didn’t contain tomatoes. If you are intolerant to deadly nightshades like me or allergic to tomatoes or other vegetables within the nightshade family, you will have missed out on bolognese, lasagnas, pizzas, and tomato-based pasta.
Well, not anymore. This is a close copycat recipe. The no tomato base sauce is my recipe nomato sauce which you can find here. I batch cook this sauce, freeze it into little containers ( or bags) and take them out when I need them for curries etc. It’s convenient to have this sauce on hand, so you don’t have to give up on your spag bol!
Enjoy!
Notes on ingredients & substitutions
Beef
I always buy organic, grass-fed meat. Read all about the benefits here. It really does taste better than industrial factory-farmed meat, I promise you. However, please buy the highest quality you can within your budget. I used minced lamb for this Bolognese recipe. You can use beef or mince turkey if you prefer.
NB If you are following a soy free diet please only buy grass fed meat and check with your butchers too!
Nomato sauce
The base sauce is my nomato sauce recipe which you can find here. It’s a really delicious sauce with no tomatoes, so its perfect if you cannot eat deadly nightshade vegetables.
Herbs
You can use dried mixed herbs, dried basil, or oregano and add this when sweating the onions and garlic. I used cumin, ground coriander, and grated ginger for my bolognese instead. It’s the Indian in me. However, feel free just to use milder herbs. I finished the bolognese with some fresh Greek basil that I bought from Sainsbury’s. However, normal basil is fine to use.
Pasta
I always use brown rice pasta or buckwheat pasta. You can buy this at most supermarkets or health food stores.
Ingredients
So what are deadly nightshades anyway?
Deadly nightshades belong to the (solanaceae) family and include:
Tomatoes
Tomatillos
Eggplant
Potatoes
Goji Berries
Tobacco
Peppers (bell peppers, chilli peppers, paprika, tamales, tomatillos, pimentos, cayenne, etc.)
Read more about deadly nightshades here. For a complete list of deadly nightshades, look at this interesting article.
Nightshades contain several chemical compounds that can negatively affect the human body. The worst offenders – and the ones most likely to impact your health – are glycoalkaloids, saponins, calcitriol, nicotine, and capsaicin.
Many of these compounds are part of the plant’s innate self-defence system, protecting it from predators and pathogens by disrupting its cell membranes. Unfortunately, these substances can have a similar detrimental effect on humans, resulting in prolonged inflammation and unwanted symptoms. Eating deadly nightshades will affect some people and not others, and symptoms will differ. Always seek a trained expert in allergies and intolerances to determine if you have issues with nightshades.
Tips
Storage & reheating
This Bolognese will store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or freezer for 3 months.
How do I reheat Bolognese?
To reheat, add to a saucepan with a dash of water and heat on medium heat, OR microwave for a couple of minutes.
How can I prevent my spaghetti from sticking together?
To avoid sticky spaghetti, it's important to boil it in plenty of salted water. For every 100g of pasta, use about 1 litre of water and make sure it's at a rolling boil before adding the spaghetti. During the first few minutes of cooking, stir the pasta frequently to keep the strands separate. If you're using gluten-free pasta, make sure to read the instructions carefully and stir the pasta a few times to prevent it from clumping together. Gluten-free pasta can cook in as little as 5 minutes. I always do a taste test, just fish out a spaghetti strand and taste test it to see if it's ready.
How can I enhance the flavour of my bolognese if it tastes too acidic?
If your sauce leans towards the acidic side, try stirring in a teaspoon of sugar or a splash of milk to balance out the acidity. Alternatively, cooking down a few finely chopped carrots with your base can naturally sweeten the sauce, adding depth and reducing tartness.
Other similar recipes
Nightshade-free Minestrone soup
Nightshade free Spaghetti bolognaise
Nightshade free Chilli con carne
Nightshade free avocado and lime dip
Tomato & chilli free Chicken curry
Take a look at my popular article, The Ultimate Beginners Guide to a Nightshade free diet.
Makes 4 portions - 1 hr cooking time
Step by Step
Recipe
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion diced
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tsp dried herbs like basil, oregano, mixed herbs, Italian seasoning
400g minced beef/lamb/turkey
600g nomato sauce - click for the recipe here
200 ml hot water
30g fresh basil including the stalks
Method
Sweat the onions and garlic in a saucepan on medium heat with a tbsp of oil.
Add the meat and break up the mince whilst stirring. Brown the mince slightly on medium to high heat ( approx 10- 15 minutes). Add the dried herbs or spices, and the chopped basil stalks once the meat is browned (see notes.)
OR add the onions, garlic, herbs and meat to the saucepan together and brown using the meat juices instead of oil. If you use lamb, it’s fattier, so you wouldn’t really need to use any oil. If you are using the spices I mentioned, add this a few minutes before browning the meat so the spices don’t burn.
Add the nomato sauce and water and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour on low heat. Taste for seasoning ( salt & pepper)
Once cooked, it should be really thick and bursting with flavour. Finish with chopped basil, and serve with pasta and salad.
Nightshade free recipe cookbook
If you are looking for more nightshade-free recipes, This cookbook is a game-changer for those following a nightshade-free diet. Avoiding these nightshade foods can be challenging, but this book offers a solution with its 16 mouthwatering recipes that recreate popular dishes like pizza, Bolognese, Thai curries, and chips without any nightshade ingredients.
Say goodbye to the struggle of finding nightshade-free options and hello to a delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-cook nightshade-free diet.
Not only are these recipes free from nightshade vegetables and the nightshade family, but they're also dairy-free, gluten-free, with many vegan, soy-free, top 14 allergen-free, sesame-free, and paleo options. Indulge in your favourite flavours without the nightshades, and embrace a nightshade-free lifestyle that's both satisfying and healthy.
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