The daughter of an athlete, Elana Meyers Taylor, seemed destined for sports. At 11, she held a torch at the Atlanta Games. Decades later, she’s claimed six Olympic medals. Most recently, she took home her first gold medal in the women’s monobobsled event on Monday, February 16, at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics—her fifth Games.
Not only is she the most decorated female bobsledder in history, but she’s also the most decorated Black winter sports Olympian.
Days before the Winter Olympics, I had to ask: What fuels an athlete competing at this level? Taylor’s answer was refreshingly practical. As the mom of Nico (five) and Noah (three), she gravitates toward a meal the whole family enjoys—something she can make anywhere in the world.
What Does the Most Decorated Female Bobsledder Indulge in to Fuel? Pasta.
Taylor, along with her entire family, travels when she competes, so, in addition to getting her body ready for the games, she’s also taking care of her two boys. “During the training season, we’re in a different location almost every week,” says Taylor. At the time of this interview, they’re all settled in Milan, Italy, as she gets ready to compete in her fifth Olympics.
She consistently turns to one particular dish to power her journey: Bolognese pasta. “I can find the ingredients anywhere in the world, and it’s got everything I need in it.”
Bolognese sauce is an Italian staple, which Taylor loves; she’s the daughter of parents with Jamaican, Panamanian, and Italian American roots. She follows a classic Bolognese recipe, ground beef stewed in an aromatic tomato sauce, but she adds spinach so she can “sneak veggies in.”
She is also gluten-free, so while she loves this Bolognese dish, she always makes sure to grab her favorite Barilla chickpea pasta as the base. “Since I’m in a speed and power sport, I need a good carbohydrate to complete my meals,” she adds.
Plus, her two boys love it. “If mom’s got a bowl of spaghetti for them at the end of the day, they’re going to be happy,” Taylor says.
I share those same sentiments. At least once a week, I make a Bolognese. But I’ve never tried it with chickpea pasta. I decided to give Taylor’s Olympian-approved meal a try to see if it could fuel my workouts just by making a tiny swap in the main ingredients. I also connected with a few nutrition experts to get their take on whether this meal can power high-intensity workouts. Read on for their take, and my thoughts on this dish.
How to Make Elana Meyers Taylor’s Bolognese Pasta
Serving: 6
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, minced
- 2 cups spinach
- Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 lb of chickpea pasta, such as penne, rotini, or spaghetti (I used this one by Barilla)
- Optional: Parmesan cheese for garnishing
Recipe
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until the onions are translucent, about six minutes.
- Add the carrot and ground beef, stirring often, until the meat is no longer pink, about ten minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, and basil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about two minutes.
- While the sauce simmers, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the chickpea pasta according to package directions.
- Top the cooked chickpea pasta with the Bolognese sauce and a generous grating of Parmesan.
The Verdict: Taylor’s Pasta Dish Hits Different
I’m married to an Italian-American, so pasta is a weekly tradition in our household—and we’ve definitely side-eyed legume-based pastas in the grocery store. Going into this recipe, I was skeptical: Would chickpea pasta taste good, or would it derail the whole meal?
I was pleasantly wrong. The chickpea pasta was so mild that it essentially disappeared under the Bolognese sauce.
The real test came the next morning. I’d eaten the Bolognese pasta for dinner the night before, and when I woke up for my barre class, I had sustained energy throughout the entire workout—no crashes. That’s when I realized this pasta might actually be a game-changer for my fitness routine.
How to Get the Most Out of This Meal, According to Nutritionists
Olympic athletes need a well-balanced meal to stay fueled: lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and vegetables, says Yvette Hill, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Boulder, Colorado. This pasta delivers all three.
The chickpea pasta serves as an excellent carbohydrate base, says Claire Rifkin, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in New York City. “The chickpea pasta will give her a good carbohydrate base to fill up muscle glycogen stores overnight, which can be especially helpful for a sport that requires really explosive movements, like bobsledding.” Each 3.5-ounce serving of Barilla chickpea pasta packs 15 grams of fiber and 21 grams of protein, which is more than many traditional pastas.
The ground beef adds even more protein, which is essential for muscle growth and repair. The beef and spinach also deliver iron and B vitamins critical for energy production. This matters especially for female athletes: iron directly affects oxygen delivery to working muscles, and many women athletes need to be vigilant about their iron status, says Rifkin.
For even more performance benefits, Hill suggests adding hydrating ingredients like zucchini to the sauce. “Even mild dehydration can cause lowered energy, which can impact performance,” she explains.
At the same time, Rifkin emphasizes: “The other thing that stands out to me is that this is clearly a meal she enjoys and knows her body handles well. Sometimes we get so focused on optimizing every little thing that we forget the most important factor is actually eating enough foods that digest well and that an athlete will consistently eat.”
As for me, I’ll continue making this Bolognese pasta and be reminded of Taylor’s feats every time I take a bite.
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The post The One Meal Olympic Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor Relies on During Training appeared first on Outside Online.
