With a rich, hearty sauce full of bold flavors, this sophisticated pasta is elegant enough for company, but easy enough to make after work. Make it a Meal: an arugula and black olive salad tossed with red-wine vinaigrette complements this dish well.
| Prep Time: | 25 minutes |
| Ready in: | 35 minutes |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
| Ease of Prep: | Easy |
| Recipe Ingredients | |
| 8 ounces whole-wheat rigatoni or penne | |
| 1/2 pound 92%-lean ground beef | |
| 4 cloves garlic , chopped | |
| 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed | |
| 3 cups diced eggplant (about 1/2 medium) | |
| 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil | |
| 2 8-ounce cans no-salt-added tomato sauce | |
| 1 cup red wine | |
| 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried | |
| 1/2 teaspoon salt | |
| 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper | |
| 2 teaspoons pine nuts , toasted | |
| 1/2 cup crumbled feta (optional) | |
Recipe Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, cook beef, garlic and fennel seeds in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, until the beef is browned, about 3 minutes. Add eggplant and oil; cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant browns, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and wine; cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in oregano, salt and pepper.
- Drain the pasta; serve topped with the sauce and sprinkled with pine nuts and feta, if using.
Prepare the sauce (Step 2); cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
To toast pine nuts, cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
Health Advantages: high fiber, low sat fat, low cholesterol, low sodium, high potassium, heart healthy.
| Nutrition Information | ||||||||
| Servings Per Recipe: 4 | ||||||||
| Amount Per serving | ||||||||
| Calories: | 394 cal | Carbohydrate Servings: | 3 | |||||
| Carbohydrates: | 56 g | Dietary Fiber: | 11 g | Cholesterol: | 30 mg | |||
| Fat: | 7 g | Sodium: | 345 mg | Saturated Fat: | 1 g | |||
| Protein: | 22 g | Potassium: | 735 mg | Monounsaturated Fat: | 3 g | |||
| Nutrition Bonus: | Vitamin C (30% daily value), Zinc (26% dv), Vitamin A (25% dv), Potassium (21% dv), Iron (20% dv). | |||||||
| Exchanges: | 3 starch, 2 vegetable, 2 very lean meat, 1 fat | |||||||
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Rigatoni with Beef & Eggplant Ragu
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