Recipe: Whole Wheat Fusilli with Beef Ragu (with carrots, celery and mushrooms)

WHOLE WHEAT FUSILLI WITH BEEF RAGU

"This chunky, full-bodied sauce is a good match for hearty whole-wheat pasta. We've augmented a little lean ground beef with mushrooms to get a rich, meaty sauce that has a minimum of saturated fat."

8 ounces 90%-lean ground beef
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
6 ounces cremini or baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean and coarsely chopped (2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes (not drained)
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 to 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
Large pinch of crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
12 ounces whole-wheat fusilli or rotini
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a strainer or colander and drain off fat.

Heat oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and begins to brown, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms and garlic to the skillet; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add tomatoes to the mixture in the skillet and mash them with a potato masher. Add wine, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, salt and the meat; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the flavors have developed, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 9 to 11 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and

Toss the pasta with the sauce. If desired, pass Parmesan separately, if using. Sprinkle with parsley

TO MAKE AHEAD:
Prepare the sauce. Cover and refrigerate the sauce for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

TIPS:
If you're only serving 2 or 3 people, toss half the sauce with 6 ounces cooked pasta; freeze the remaining sauce. If you're serving more than 6 or are just feeling industrious, you can easily double the sauce recipe.

Makes 6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each
Source: The Essential Eating Well Cookbook by Patsy Jamieson