Love for Food

I don't know what got into me but I really wanted some pasta. For the longest time I avoided pasta because of my low carb diet. I managed to forget about it. But this week I had such a strong craving! I just had to make some. I saw a recipe in Food Network Magazine for meat sauce which could double as a stuffed pepper filler. I thought that was a great idea, cook once and have two dishes! Yeah, so I was too lazy for the round two recipe. I ended up eating all of the sauce on my pasta but so what? It was good! The pasta might not be that great for you :(. But for the sauce I used lean meat, and it ends up being healthy. Not like when you eat out, and your sauce is loaded with oil. Blah! What are some of your favorite pasta sauces? I can't wait for the farmer's market to open up so I can make some pesto :). Ingredients: Serves Six
4 strips bacon2 med. carrots2 stalks celery1 med. onion4 cloves garlic1 lb. ground beef1/2 cup red wine1 cup beef stock/or chicken
1/4 cup tomato paste1 cup milk1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
to taste salt and pepper16 oz. pasta
Method:

• Cut the bacon into small pieces and cook in a large pot over medium/high heat. While the bacon is cooking, finely dice the carrot, celery, onion and garlic.
• When the bacon is deep brown and crispy, drain off about 3/4 of the grease. Leave enough to coat the vegetables. Add the diced vegetables and continue to cook until they have softened and the onions are transparent.
• Add the ground beef and cook until completely browned. Add the wine, beef broth and tomato paste. Bring the mixture up to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer with a lid partially in place.
• Add the milk a little about 1/4 cup at a time as the sauce simmers. Simmer with the lid in place (but slightly cocked) for 30 minutes then remove the lid and allow the mixture to reduce as it simmers for another 30 minutes. Taste the mixture half way through and adjust the salt and pepper and add red pepper flakes if desired.
• About 15 minutes before the sauce is finished simmering, cook the pasta according to the package directions (boil for 5-7 minutes or until al dente). When the sauce is thick, spoon about 1 cup over 2 ounces of cooked pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley or parmesan cheese if desired.

Calories 547.0
Total Fat 18.2 gSaturated Fat 7.1 gPolyunsaturated Fat 1.2 gMonounsaturated Fat 7.7 gCholesterol 85.3 mgSodium 245.2 mgPotassium 612.2 mgTotal Carbohydrate 66.1 gDietary Fiber 3.3 gSugars 2.3 gProtein 26.4 g
Weight Watcher Points +: 13 points per serving