Easy Recipe: Quick, Healthy Pasta Sauce

I don't know about you, but by the time I get home from work I'm pretty fried. I'm always looking for quick dinner ideas. Tonight I'm throwing together a quick pasta sauce. Here's what you'll need:
1 large onion
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 pound lean ground beef (I use 92% fat free)
1 14 oz. can mushrooms
1 package frozen spinach
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasonings
1 tsp. Garlic Salt
Pasta
 Salt
1 tsp. Olive oil
(Optional Parmesan/Romano Cheese)

When I say easy, I mean easy. Chop the onion into large slices and throw it into a large skillet with the ground beef to brown. After breaking the ground beef into smaller pieces, I put a lid on my skillet to help it cook faster. Tonight, I took that time to get my 1 year old settled and check the mail.

When that's brown, turn down the heat to medium and throw in your spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes and sprinkle on your Italian Seasonings and Garlic Salt. Cover it and let that simmer until your spinach is unfrozen and warm - about 5 minutes - while you start your pasta water.

Put water, the oil and a generous dash of salt into a saucepan for your pasta. Once that boils, throw in enough pasta for your family to have a meal. I used angel hair - also called cappellini. Allow the angel hair pasta to cook for 6-8 minutes to taste. The longer you cook the pasta, the softer it will get. Mama's trick for knowing whether it was done was to throw it against the fridge - when it sticks, it's done (and it really works).

While your angel hair is simmering, stir your sauce and let that simmer another 3-4 minutes. Stir in about 1/4 cup of your pasta water into the sauce before you drain your pasta. Layer the sauce over your angel hair (add cheese if you like) and voila! Meal in about 20 minutes.

Foodie Friday: Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce

I often have the same problem when I get home from work. I'm too tired to make a gourmet dinner. I tried when I was first married to present hubby with lovely, multi-course meals. That lasted about 6 months. Now, I look for quick an easy. And that's where my handy crock pot comes into play!

I make this spaghetti sauce pretty often and can use it in many ways. Want spaghetti? Perfect. How about lasagna? Check out next Friday's post. Then there's that thing my husband called "goulash" for the first six months of our marriage that I finally figured out meant rotini or macaroni with sauce and cheese piled on. You can do that too.

Pull out your crock pot and gather your ingredients:
1 Vidalia or 3 small onions
1 pound super lean ground beef
2 large cans diced tomatoes
1 can mushrooms (stems and caps are fine), drained (optional)
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup Cinnamon
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

I cut up the onions and put them in the bottom of the pot. Since my family has no problems with onions, I keep the pieces big! Over the onions, I put in the beef and then break it up into smaller chunks.

Then I layer in the Italian seasoning, cinnamon and salt and pepper. The cinnamon gives it a sweetness that we love - it's the more Greek version of sauce. If you want a more Italian style taste, throw in a couple Tablespoons of garlic powder instead.

Here's the hard part, open your cans of diced tomatoes and mushrooms (drained) and throw those in. You can also put in peppers or black olives if you like them in your sauce. Then stir up the whole thing and cover your pot.

As for cooking, I usually cook this on high for 8-9 hours. If you anticipate being longer, you can cook it on medium for probably 12-14 hours. When I get home I find delicious goodness waiting for me as I walk through the door. I throw on some angel hair pasta and I have dinner in a snap!

Enjoy!