Healthy spag bol

(serves 6-8) 

I guess it's pretty typical that kids love spag bol, and I'm pretty sure every mum tries to hide as many vegetables into it as possible. This is my adaptation, combining a ratatouille with the traditional spaghetti bolognese, giving this dish plenty of colourful vegetable goodness and natural flavours, so much so that we don't even add any salt (except for cooking the eggplant)! Everyone says just to give the kids what you make, but I've been finding that a bit tricky but this is one of the few meals that our one year old can actually eat the same as us and I feel that she's getting a proper healthy balanced meal! 

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hr 30 minutes

Ingredients
2 onions
4 garlic cloves
2 zucchini
1 kg eggplant (2 medium or 1 large)
2 carrots
2 capsicums
700 grams beef mince
700 grams passata (tomato paste)
4 bay leaves
250 mL vegetable stock
4 tsp oregano, dried (or Italian herb seasoning)
700 grams spaghetti, dried
20 grams basil or parsley (or both), to serve
200 grams shaved Parmesan or Pecorino (sheep's cheese, less strong), to serve
olive oil

Method
1. Finely chop the onion, garlic, zucchini, carrot and capsicum.

2. Cut the eggplant into semi-circles about 1cm thick, sprinkle with salt and leave for at least 15 minutes and then pat dry with a paper towel. Pan fry the eggplant with olive oil and salt until browned. 
NB. This dries out the eggplant and allows it to soak up the flavour of the sauce and become soft and flavoursome rather than a bit squidgy. Alternatively, if you're short for time then just dice it and chuck it in with the rest of the vegetables.

Using our fresh eggplant (and basil) from the garden!

3. In a large saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic with olive oil on medium heat for 3 minutes then add the beef mince and cook until the beef is browned, breaking up any large bits.

4. Add the passata, bay leaves, vegetable stock and oregano and bring to the boil then add the zucchini, eggplant, carrots and capsicum and bring to the boil again then simmer for at least 30 to 40 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the sauce has thickened. 

5. When ready to serve, prepare a large pot of boiling, salted hot water. Add the spaghetti in and cook according to the packet (approximately 8 to 10 minutes) until al dente (or soft for little ones). Drain.
6. Finely chop the basil or parsley. Serve the pasta with the sauce on top, then sprinkle with cheese and a handful of fresh herbs!