Spaghetti with Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce
This Spaghetti with Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce delivers 25g protein and 625 calories per serving—a base meal for higher-protein pairings. Quick-preps 4 servings on the stovetop, making it versatile for adding lean protein on top or pairing with side dishes. Use this for carb-loading days when you're strategically increasing calories around training windows.
Ingredients
- •Zucchini
- •Carrots
- •Yellow Onion
- •Garlic(120g)
- •Olive oil(15g)
Regular (not extra-virgin) olive oil for high-heat cooking. EVOO for dressings.
- •80/20 Ground Beef(227g)
- •Basil, Fresh(3g)
- •Oregano, Dried(3g)
- •1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- •1/4 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.03)
- •Red pepper flakes
- •Pasta Sauce, Marinara, Canned(680g)
- •Rotini Pasta(340g)
Instructions
- 1Use a cheese grater to grate the zucchini and carrots. You'll want about 1.5 cups of each, but the amount is flexible. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- 2Add the olive oil and ground beef to a large, deep skillet. Cook the ground beef over medium heat until it is fully browned. Add the diced onion and garlic and continue to sauté a few minutes more, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
- 3Add the shredded zucchini and carrots to the skillet along with the basil, oregano, salt, freshly cracked pepper, and a pinch of red pepper. Continue to sauté until the vegetables are wilted (about five minutes).
- 4Add the pasta sauce to the skillet and stir to combine. Allow the contents of the skillet to come up to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low and simmer the sauce as you prepare the spaghetti. Stir the sauce occasionally as it simmers.
- 5Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, then drain in a colander. Return the drained spaghetti to the pot with the heat turned off. Add one cup of the prepared sauce to the pasta and stir to coat. Divide the pasta into serving bowls and top with additional sauce.
Nutrition — Per Serving
625
calories
25g
protein
19g
fat
- Carbohydrates
- 87g
- Saturated fat
- 5.5g
- Sodium
- 791 mg
- Dietary fiber
- 6.7g
4 servings per batch · ~347g each
Macro data sourced from USDA FoodData Central
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How much protein does Spaghetti with Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce have per serving?
Each serving contains 25g of protein and 625 calories with 19g fat and 87g carbs. While lower in protein compared to other PrepForge recipes, the carbohydrate density makes this a carb-focused meal option.
How long does Spaghetti with Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce take to prep?
This quick prep recipe makes 4 servings on the stovetop in one session, allowing you to batch multiple meals simultaneously. It's efficient for meal prepping high-carb days throughout your training week.
Is Spaghetti with Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce good for fat loss?
At 625 calories with 25g protein per serving, this recipe fits better into maintenance or high-carb training days rather than a fat loss phase. Consider pairing it with a separate high-protein source to increase satiety.
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