Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce

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.
Servings
8 servings, 1 cup pasta & generous 3/4 cup sauce each
Prep Time
30 minutes
Total Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1pound whole-wheat spaghetti
- 2teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1large onion, finely chopped
- 1large carrot, finely chopped
- 1stalk celery, finely chopped
- 4cloves garlic, minced
- 1tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1pound lean (90% or leaner) ground beef
- 128-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2teaspoon salt
- 1/2cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve the sauce over the pasta, sprinkled with cheese.
Tips
Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 8 servings, 1 cup pasta & generous 3/4 cup sauce each)
Calories | 384kcal |
---|---|
Carbohydrate Total | 52g |
Total Sugars | 8g |
Added Sugars | 0g |
Fiber | 10g |
Total Fat | 9g |
Saturated Fat | 3g |
Mono Saturated Fat | 3g |
Cholesterol | 48mg |
Sodium | 416mg |
Protein | 28g |
Potassium | 655mg |
Calcium | 133mg |
Folate | 31mcg |
Omega-6 | 1g |
Vitamin E | 2mg |
Zinc | 5mg |
Vitamin B3 | 2mg |