Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce

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Instead of opening a jar of sauce, try this easy spaghetti with meat sauce on a weeknight. Serve with steamed broccoli and garlic bread. The recipe makes enough for 8 servings. If you're serving only four for dinner, cook 8 ounces of spaghetti and freeze the leftover sauce.

Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce
Cook Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
30 mins
Servings:
8
Yield:
8 servings, 1 cup pasta & generous 3/4 cup sauce eac

Ingredients

  • 1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti

  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped

  • 1 large carrot, finely chopped

  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

  • 1 pound lean (90% or leaner) ground beef

  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

  • ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.

  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is beginning to brown, 5 to 8 minutes.

  3. Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef and cook, stirring and breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Increase heat to high. Stir in tomatoes and cook until thickened, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in parsley and salt.

  4. Serve the sauce over the pasta, sprinkled with cheese.

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Originally appeared: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2010

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

389 Calories
9g Fat
54g Carbs
27g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Serving Size 1 cup pasta & generous 3/4 cup sauce
Calories 389
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 54g 20%
Dietary Fiber 9g 34%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 27g 54%
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 48mg 16%
Vitamin A 1947IU 39%
Vitamin C 14mg 16%
Folate 56mcg 14%
Sodium 484mg 21%
Calcium 120mg 9%
Iron 5mg 28%
Magnesium 120mg 29%
Potassium 711mg 15%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

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