Tastiest Pasta Dish Ever!

It is truly amazing what you can learn reading through magazines. Some time back, I subscribed to a magazine, Runner's World, which has helped me learn a lot about being a safe, inury-free runner. With much of what I have learned in reading through this magazine, I am probably in some of the best shape of my life, fitness-wise.

But would you believe that a running magazine is not only about running? Every issue, they give a number of healthy recipes that are friendly for runners. And then, in a recent issue, they even had a number of recipes from one of the judges on the TV show "MasterChef." Following some of his ideas, I have come across what is, to me, the tastiest pasta dish ever!

I typically start out with a pound of ground beef, a small onion chopped up, and about 3-4 cloves of garlic, also chopped. I cook these together over medium heat until the beef is cooked thoroughly. Then, I add three small cans of tomato sauce (it's been really great when I have made my own tomato sauce, but that's for another post!), rinse the cans with water and add it to the mixture, along with generous sprinklings of oregano, basil, ground black pepper, and then salt to taste. At this point, I usually will add any "extras" that I want, such as chopped tomatos, mushrooms, etc. I let this mixture cook for about 4-5 minutes, mostly to let the veggies cook a bit, but also to let the flavors all mix well together.

While this is going on, I also get my pasta going. I bring my pot of water to a boil, then add my pasta about the time that I'm pouring in the tomato sauce with the meat, onion, and garlic. Most pasta recipes say to let them boil about 8-10 minutes, but I only boil mine for about 6-8. Then, using a slotted spoon or sieve, I add the pasta into the sauce to finish. (I also will add some of the starchy water, as it helps the sauce to set better and provides a bit of liquid for the pasta to finish cooking.) Let it all cook for about 2-4 more minutes, and you have some of the tastiest pasta ever!

If you really want to put this dish over the top, just add a little shredded Parmesan cheese. It'll practically knock your socks off.

One of the best things about this recipe: I usually only have two pots/pans, two spoons, a knife, and a cutting board to wash afterward!