Whole-wheat pasta with lean beef and tomato sauce

Pasta and ground beef in tomato sauce is the comfort dish everyone can make — and it happens to fit bulking perfectly. This version brings 40 g of protein, 71 g of carbs and 15 g of fat for 560 kcal per serving: energy-dense, protein-rich, ideal on heavy training days when you need to refuel.

Two choices maximise the nutritional return: whole-wheat pasta, higher in fibre and slower to digest, and 5%-fat ground beef, which keeps protein high without blowing up the fat. That pairing turns an everyday dish into a genuine athlete's meal.

To lighten it for cutting, cut the pasta (100 g dry for two) and increase the tomato sauce and vegetables: you keep the 40 g of protein for far fewer carbs. To gain mass, serve bigger pasta portions and add a little parmesan. The meat stays the base, the pasta steers the calories.

The secret to a good sauce is time: brown the meat well, add the onion and garlic, then simmer the tomato for at least 15 minutes to concentrate the flavours. A touch of fresh basil at the end changes everything, for zero calories. The sauce can be made in bulk and freezes very well.

The tomato sauce is the best place to sneak in vegetables without anyone noticing: grated carrot and zucchini, onion, pepper or mushrooms melt into the simmer, adding volume, fibre and micronutrients for almost no calories. Your plate grows, your carbs and fat barely move.

You can also push protein and fibre by replacing part of the beef with red lentils, which blend into the sauce without changing the taste. Conversely, a spoon of tomato paste and a long simmer are enough to add depth: a bolognese's real richness comes from cooking time, not cream or butter.

This dish suits meal-prep very well, provided you manage the pasta and sauce separately. Cook the bolognese sauce in bulk — double or triple the quantities — and split it into portions in airtight boxes: it keeps 3 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer without losing flavour, and is often even better reheated the next day. Pasta, on the other hand, keeps less well once cooked: it softens and sticks. If you prep ahead, cook it slightly firm (one minute less than the package time), drain it with a splash of oil to stop it sticking, and reheat it with the sauce rather than on its own.

To reheat, favour a saucepan or skillet over the microwave alone: add a spoon of water or stock, cover and heat over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes while stirring, so the sauce regains its smoothness and the pasta doesn't dry out. In the microwave, cover the dish and reheat in one-minute bursts, stirring between each. Handy tip: freeze the sauce in individual portions in small containers or flat bags, so you can thaw exactly the amount you need for one meal with no waste, and cook fresh pasta in ten minutes for a dish ready in record time on busy evenings.