In a Dutch Oven
Classic Pasta with Ragu
3 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
6 ounces ground lean beef (7% fat or less)
6 ounces ground lean pork
¼ cup tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 fresh rosemary sprig
½ teaspoon crushed sage
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups cooked pasta, such as gemelli or campanelle
1 Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery; cook, stirring, until onion is golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl.
2 Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to Dutch oven. Add beef and pork; cook, breaking meat up with spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Return vegetables to pot along with tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
3 Add crushed tomatoes, rosemary, sage, salt, pepper, and bay leaf to beef mixture; bring to simmer. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 hour.
4 Remove and discard rosemary sprig and bay leaf. Stir in Parmesan and pasta; cook, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes longer.
PER SERVING (about 1⅔ cups): 324 Cal, 8 g Total Fat, 2 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 38 mg Chol, 568 mg Sod, 44 g Carb, 4 g Sugar, 6 g Fib, 21 g Prot, 125 mg Calc.
FYI Gemelli pasta is made up of short thick twists, while campanelle pasta resembles trumpet-shaped flowers. These novel shapes hold the sauce especially well.