Lunch: Pasta with Quick Meat Sauce

Recipe by Woman's Day Kitchen Cinnamon, nutmeg, and red pepper lend a gentle, unexpected spice to the lean ground beef so you don't have to sacrifice flavor for health.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Pasta with Quick Meat Sauce

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

12 oz. fettuccine or any long pasta
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion
kosher salt
Pepper
1 medium carrot
1 stalk celery
2 clove garlic
3/4 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 c. dry white wine
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
.13 tsp. ground cinnamon
.13 tsp. freshly grated or ground nutmeg
1 can crushed tomatoes
3/4 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, and garlic and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes more.
While the vegetables cook, combine the beef and wine in a medium bowl; break up the beef with a spoon.
Add the beef mixture to the vegetables, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until the liquid has evaporated and the meat begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the red pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Add the tomatoes to the skillet and simmer until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and toss with the pasta.