Pappardelle with Spiced Meat Sauce
Pappardelle - a wide, egg-based noodle - is topped with a sumptuous sauce made with ground beef and aromatic spices. Crumbled feta adorns the dish for a touch of saltiness to round out the meal.
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Nutritional Bonus:
Concerned about memory loss? This hearty dish contains nearly 40% of your recommended daily value (DV) of zinc, which keeps your eyes healthy and plays a role in warding off age-related memory loss.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- 3/4 lb lean ground beef
- 1/4 tsp sea salt, plus additional to taste
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper, plus additional to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder (NOTE: Ancho chile has a mild and fruity taste that is perfectly suited to this recipe, but if unavailable, any chile powder can be substituted here.)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups chopped jarred or boxed tomatoes, with juices
- 1/3 cup dried currants
- 8 oz whole-wheat pappardelle or fettucine (TRY: Garofalo Whole Wheat Pappardelle)
- 2 oz low-fat feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
Preparation
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large skillet on medium-high, heat oil. Add onion and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add beef, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook for about 4 minutes more, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink. Add garlic, cumin, chile powder and cinnamon and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer; reduce heat to medium-low and stir in currants. Cook until sauce is slightly thickened and currants are plump, 2 to 4 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper.
- To boiling water, add pasta and cook al dente according to package directions. Divide among serving bowls and top evenly with sauce, feta and mint.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1 1/2 cups
- Calories 400
- Carbohydrate Content 48 g
- Cholesterol Content 59 mg
- Fat Content 10 g
- Fiber Content 9 g
- Protein Content 28 g
- Saturated Fat Content 3 g
- Sodium Content 407 mg
- Sugar Content 12 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 1 g