Bolognese Sauce With Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small fennel bulb, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 carrot cut into ¼ inch dice
• 1 celery stalk, cut into ¼ inch dice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ pound ground lean beef (7% fat or less)
• ½ pound ground lean pork
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat (2% milk)
• 1 (16-ounce) package whole wheat spaghetti
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add fennel, onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef, pork, salt, pepper flakes and black pepper; cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until browned, 6-8 minutes. Transfer to 5 or 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Stir tomatoes into beef mixture. Cover and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, 3 ½ hours on Low. Stir in ¼ cup of Parmesan and the milk. Cover and cook on Low 30 minutes longer.
3. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in same large pot according to package directions. Drain.
4. Divide spaghetti evenly among 8 bowls; top evenly with meat sauce. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup Parmesan and the basil.

Per serving (scant 1 cup pasta, ¾ cup sauce, and 1 tablespoon Parmesan): 346 Cal, 7g Total Fat, 3g Sat Fat, 594 mg Sod, 51g Total Crb, 4g Sugar, 8g Fib, 25g Prot. SmartPoints value: 8