Weight Watchers Spaghetti Bolognese

This recipe has been featured in a post on The Recipe Girl blog: Healthy Recipes to Share. This recipe is gluten-free adaptable- see tips below.

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Weight Watchers Spaghetti Bolognese

Yield: 4 servings (1 cup pasta and 3/4 cup sauce)

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

I found myself thinking about dinner one day when I discovered that it was National Spaghetti Day! Since I was watching my calories, I took a look around on the internet and found this fabulous recipe for Spaghetti Bolognese.

Ingredients:

3/4 pound lean ground beef (5% or less fat)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
1 large carrot, chopped (no need to peel)
3 cups fresh mushrooms, chopped
One (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup fat-free skim milk
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 pound dry whole wheat spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
fresh basil for garnish, optional

Directions:

1. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and add beef; cook, stirring frequently until browned (5 minutes or so).

2. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 5 minutes). Stir in carrot and cook about 2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato paste, basil and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and continue to cook- covered- for 10 minutes. Add milk and cook- uncovered- until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Divide cooked spaghetti among 4 bowls and top with the sauce. Garnish with fresh basil, if using

Tips:

*If you're preparing this recipe as GLUTEN FREE, use your favorite gluten free pasta in place of the whole wheat spaghetti.
*I made this recipe as directed, but when I make it again I think I'm going to give the chopped tomatoes a whirl in my food processor before adding it to the pan. It's a little chunky as the recipe is written, and I think pureeing the tomatoes would give it more of a sauce consistency.
*The sauce freezes perfectly. Divide it into into individual servings and de-frost when you have a busy night and don't feel like cooking!
*I have a son who absolutely hates mushrooms. I used small portabello mushroom caps for this recipe and chopped them finely. They're a very "meaty" mushroom and they cooked up well with the meat in the recipe. My son was not able to detect the mushrooms :)

Nutritional Information: calories 370, fat 8.5g (sat 2.3g), cholesterol 49.1mg, sodium 575.9mg, carbohydrates 53.9g, fiber 9gm, protein 28g

WW POINTS per serving of 1 cup pasta & 3/4 cup sauce:
Points Plus Program 10 Old Weight Watchers Program 7

Source: RecipeGirl.com (Adapted slightly from Weight Watchers Turnaround Program Cookbook)