Hearty Vegetable Beef Ragu

Dinner

This recipe is healthy yet satisfying, quick yet delicious. It's on the table in less than 30 minutes—and one that my children will gobble up! If you are not fond of kale, stir in baby spinach or chopped broccoli instead.

Average Rating: 4.166666

TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 30 min.
YIELD: 8 servings.

Ingredients

4 cups uncooked whole wheat spiral pasta
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
1 jar (24 ounces) meatless spaghetti sauce
2 cups finely chopped fresh kale
1 package (9 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef into crumbles, 6-8 minutes; drain.
2. Stir in tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, kale, peas, garlic powder and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until kale is tender, 8-10 minutes. Stir pasta into sauce. If desired, serve with cheese.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/2 cups: 302 calories, 5g fat (2g saturated fat), 35mg cholesterol, 837mg sodium, 43g carbohydrate (15g sugars, 7g fiber), 20g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges:
2 starch, 2 lean meat, 2 vegetable.