Mushroom ragu with courgetti recipe

Cut the calories by swapping out spaghetti for courgetti, topped with a rich mushroom and Quorn mince sauce.

This is one of our favourite low calorie pasta (opens in new tab) recipes. Spaghetti is such a go-to comfort food, and while we'd never suggest cutting it out completely, this lighter version makes a lovely change. A portion of cooked pasta would be about 155 calories without sauce, and around 31g of carbohydrate. The same amount of courgetti spaghetti contains about 21 calories, and less than 2g carbohydrate. Toss the sauce through the courgettes for maximum flavour, and we think it's delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp light olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 stick each carrot and celery, finely chopped
• 500g mixed mushrooms, finely chopped or blitzed
• 300g Quorn mince
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 250ml stock (e.g Marigold vegetable bouillon powder)
• 700g passata

For the courgetti:

• 4 courgettes, cut into long noodles
• 1 tsp olive oil
• fresh basil or fresh oregano, optional

Method

1. Heat the oil in a sauté pan or deep frying pan. Gently cook the onion, carrot and celery for 10mins, until softened. Remove to a plate. Turn up the heat and add the mushrooms to the pan and fry until any water has evaporated (you need lots of heat for this). Add the Quorn mince, stir, then add back the vegetables, along with the tomato purée, stock and passata. Simmer for 20mins.
2. Add the stock to a pan of boiling water and cook the courgette noodles for 1-2 mins, until just tender. Toss with a little olive oil and divide between 4 serving plates. Top with a generous portion of ragu and serve.

Top tips for making mushroom ragu with courgetti

For a meatier option, swap out the quorn for minced turkey or very lean beef and adjust the calories accordingly. If you can’t buy a mix of mushrooms we’d recommend chestnut or portobello mushrooms as both are packed full of an earthy, rich flavour which will really transform the dish.

How do I spiralize courgettes?

The easiest way to spiralize courgettes is with a spiralizer. You can buy them online or in cookshops, starting from around £10-£15. Unless you're regularly cooking vegetable noodles for a big family, there's no need to go for an electric one. The handheld versions are simple and effective. Just follow the instructions on your spiralizer for perfect results.

What if I don't own a spiralizer?

Don't worry, you can make them by hand if you have a vegetable peeler or a box grater. With a vegetable peeler, peel down the length of the courgette to create a long, fat ribbons. Lay these one on top of the other and use a sharp knife to slice them into noodles. On a box grater, you can use the larger cheese grating section to create noodles. Press hard and use long motions to get nice long noodles.

Can I just buy courgettes readymade into noodles?

You can, but we'd really recommend spiralizing your own courgettes, rather than buying the pre-prepared packets, as can be quite watery and tasteless. If do buy a packet and you find the courgetti too watery, try cooking it for just one minute, or even slightly less. Drain well and add to the pan with the sauce in before serving immediately. Alternatively, don't boil it at all - heat a teaspoon of oil in a wok and stir fry for 2 minutes until it softens slightly.

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