Slow Simmered Meat Pasta by CCVanB

Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil 2 cups chopped onion 1 cup chopped carrot 6 garlic cloves, minced 2 (4-ounce) links hot Italian sausage, casings removed 1 pound ground sirloin 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced 1/4 cup no-salt-added tomato paste 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes, undrained 1 cup no-salt-added tomato sauce 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano 16 ounces uncooked mafaldine pasta 1/2 cup torn fresh basil 3 ounces shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and carrot to pan; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Place vegetable mixture in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add sausage and beef to skillet; sauté 6 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove beef mixture from skillet using a slotted spoon. Place beef mixture on a double layer of paper towels; drain. Add beef mixture to slow cooker. Stir olives and next 6 ingredients (through tomato sauce) into slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours. Stir in oregano.

2. Prepare pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Serve sauce with hot cooked pasta; top with basil and cheese.

Servings: 8 Serving Size: 1 C pasta, 1 C sauce, 2 T cheese

Nutrition Information (per serving):
Fat 16.7 g
Carbohydrates 59.7
Fiber 5.6 g
Protein 26.3 g