Pasta La Cienega

The percent of fat in this recipe is 24 percent compared to more than 38 percent if one pound of extra lean ground beef were added. Enjoy a few meatless dinners per week. Your heart will thank you.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup chopped yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 1 small zucchini squash, finely diced
• 1 small yellow zucchini squash, finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced (omit if out of season and expensive)
• 1-16 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1-6 oz can tomato paste
• 1½ to 1¾ cups water
• 2 Tablespoons fresh sweet basil, chopped or 1½ teaspoons dried sweet basil
• 2 Tablespoons Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped or 1½ teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• 1 pound thin spaghetti cooked according to package directions

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add olive oil.
3. Add chopped onion and cook until transparent.
4. Add remaining vegetables and cook until slightly softened, but not mushy, about 15 minutes.
5. Add canned diced tomatoes, tomato paste and water and stir until well combined.
6. Add sweet basil, parsley, sugar and pepper.
7. Turn heat to low, cover pan and continue cooking for 1 hour.
8. To serve, place approximately ¾ cup spaghetti on warmed plate and top with about ½ cup sauce.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutritional information:

• Calories 300
• Fat 9 g
• Carb 52 g
• Chol 0 mg
• Sodium 215 mg