*Author and House of Rose Contributor – Kristina, from Bella Mia Blog.

I know we all can agree we want our children to eat more vegetables. But let’s face it, plunking down a bowl full of zucchini is NOT realistic for my toddler, or many other kids for that matter. So I learned a little trick from my mother who used to cook this dish for me when I was younger.

By shredding zucchini and mixing in with the Bolognese {fancy Italian word for meat sauce}, it becomes practically undetectable by my little lady {yes, I said “little lady”…this is Kristina not Mandy remember?}!  My toddler loves this and it makes me smile ear to ear knowing her belly is full with good food. I swear she sleeps better too!

I am a big fan of using what you already have in your kitchen. No turkey? Use ground beef. No canned tomatoes? You can make this super simple and use your favorite jarred pasta sauce.

You can substitute the zucchini for any type of vegetable you can shred—carrots, red bell pepper, etc. This is also a clean eating recipe, meaning all the ingredients are in their whole form and free from preservatives. If you do use a jarred pasta sauce, try and make sure that the ingredients don’t sound like they came from your high school Chemistry class. Good food doesn’t have to be complicated.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of lean ground turkey meat
• 1/2 pound of cooked pasta of your choice. I used bow-tie, which I had on hand.
• 1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil (regular is fine too)
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 zucchini washed and shredded using a grater or food processor
• 1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes with juice
• 2 small cans of plain tomato sauce. You can use more or less depending how you like the thickness of your sauce.
• salt and pepper
• optional: parmesan

Instructions:

Boil water in a large pot and cook pasta of your choice. Remember to salt your water! While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a pan and brown diced onion over medium heat until translucent. Add a little salt to “sweat” the onions. Once the onions are cooked, add in the ground turkey meat and cook until brown. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add in the can of crushed tomatoes and plain tomato sauce. Heat through. Finally, fold in shredded zucchini and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes. This really melds all the flavors. Season more if needed to your taste. Serve sauce over cooked pasta and top with parmesan cheese if you like!

To see more wonderful kids recipes visit Kristina at Bella Mia Blog.