Makes about 8 cups of sauce
Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/4 lbs (567 g) extra-lean ground beef
8 oz (227 g) mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped onions
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cups chopped or sliced mushrooms
1 cup diced zucchini 2 jars (25 oz/700 ml each) your favorite marinara sauce (see tip)
1 tsp dried oregano, basil or Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add beef, sausage, onions and garlic. Cook and stir until beef and sausage are no longer pink, breaking up any large chunks of meat as they cook. Drain and discard excess fat, if necessary.
2. Add mushrooms and zucchini. Cook and stir for 4 to 5 more minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add sauce, oregano and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. (This would be a good time to cook your pasta!) Serve over hot cooked pasta.
Tip
When you don't have the time or energy to whip up a batch of homemade pasta sauce, jarred or bottled sauces can help you get dinner on the table lickety-split. Be sure to compare the sodium content when choosing store-bought sauces, since it can range from 250 mg all the way up to 750 mg per half-cup serving! Next, check the sugar content, which also varies dramatically. Finally, it never hurts to choose a sauce that includes extra veggies in the recipe!
Recipes and photos courtesy of Greta Podleski’s latest cookbook, Yum and Yummer, on behalf of her new partnership with WW Canada
