I am a pasta lover. In my 30s, I ran 36 miles a week and practiced karate 3 times a week. I could eat anything I wanted. Now, 20 years later, I don’t run – unless I’m being chased – and I try to remember to practice Yoga. I have to watch what I eat, but I still crave pasta. I get my carb-fix with whole wheat pasta cooked in a beefy tomato sauce.

Whole Wheat Pasta in Beefy Tomato Sauce
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 cup baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken broth
1 12-oz can tomato paste
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 12-oz box wheat spaghetti
1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh herbs for garnish

Cook meat and onions in a large pot until the meat is brown and the onions are tender. I added a little salt and pepper during that process. Then add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, tomato paste and dried herbs.

Break the spaghetti noodles into approximately 2-inch pieces. (Most Italians would frown on that step, but it helps incorporate the pasta into the dish. It also makes the meal kid-friendly.)

Add broken pasta to the pot and stir. Bring contents to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally and add a little water if necessary.

I served with mixed garden greens dressed lightly with lemon juice. Then I sprinkled chopped fresh parsley, chives and basil and about 1/8 cup of parmesan over all.

Only one pot needed washing after the making of that meal, so clean-up was quick. The recipe served 8, and each serving had 365 calories and 13 grams of fat.