Every season has a significance to it, doesn’t it?
Winter is all about the holidays.
Spring is all about surviving winter.
Summer is all about fun.
Then there’s my favorite season – fall.
I love the crispness in the air, and the amazing colors of leaves as they fall from the trees and scatter across my lawn. To me, this time of year has always been the beginning of a new year, not January 1st.
Maybe it’s because I work for a school district, so the new school year is when I want to evaluate my goals and get a fresh start on another year.
Quinoa Pasta with Beefy Tomato-Pumpkin Sauce
It’s also when I want to cozy up, so out comes my slow cooker ready to go to work on a few meals that fill the house with mouthwatering aromas.
Spaghetti with a tasty meat sauce is usually my first slow cooker meal of the fall. It was always a meal I could count on the kids enjoying during those first busy weeks of a new school year.
Spaghetti Sauce
This spaghetti sauce recipe adds pureed pumpkin to add a hint of sweetness, along with extra fiber and a boost of those antioxidants that boost your immune system to keep winter’s cold and flu season at bay.
Spaghetti with Beefy Tomato Pumpkin Sauce
If you have a slow cooker, it’s time to get it out. I have plenty of healthy recipes to choose from, but if you don’t find a recipe to suit your fancy here, cruise on over to Healthy Slow Cooking. I’m sure you’ll find something for dinner there.
Happy, healthy cooking!
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 29 ounces low sugar pasta sauce
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- ½ cup parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 10 ounces quinoa pasta
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat add oil. Then add onions and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add ground beef and cook until the beef is no longer pink - about 6 - 8 minutes. Drain and add to a crockpot.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot (except pasta), and set on high to cook for 3 hours. If you want it to cook all day, set to low.
- Cook pasta according to package directions and add to spaghetti sauce when ready to serve.
Notes
Calories: 313 Weight Watchers PointsPlus 8 Total Fat: 6.72g Cholesterol: 64mg Sodium: 869mg Total Carbs: 42.57g Dietary Fiber: 3.62g Sugars: 9.14g Protein: 19.75g
If you’re looking for more healthy and low calorie Weight Watchers recipes, check out my Recipe page. You’ll find hundreds of recipes that include nutrition information and Weight Watchers points.
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Please see disclaimer for further details. Nutrition information is compiled with MacGourmet. If you find discrepancies, please let me know. It’s important to me that I provide you with accurate information.
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
My that is a brilliant colored sauce. I would love to have some of that Spagetti.Wow what a treat.
Once a year a make a big batch of spaghetti and freeze the sauce for easy dinners later on. Works great! Have a good weekend.
Absolutely appetizing! A must do this winter for me. I really love how this recipe looks!Have an awesome weekend
Mari recently posted…Cupcakes de Manzana, APPLE Cupakes
You couldn’t taste the pumpkin, but it really added a sweetness and depth to the sauce. Have a wonderful weekend!
I have the same dish!
I’ve been sick all week and I would love this warm comfort food for dinner. I have never used pumpkin puree before (I see it often in a supermarket during holiday season), but this year I must try. Since I don’t bake much, using it for a great meal like this one is nice a idea!
Nami | Just One Cookbook recently posted…Tonkatsu Bento とんかつ弁当
I buy odds and ends of items for picture styling, and that dish is one of my favorites. Last year I made my own pumpkin puree because it can be kind of pricey in the stores. I had found a blogger who put whole sugar pumpkins in their slow cooker and cooked them until they were done. It was so easy and the flavor was so much better than canned. I don’t bake much either, but I love to add pumpkin to my oatmeal, etc. Have a good weekend!
Kristin, what a terrific idea to add pumpkin puree to the beef ragout – not only is that healthy but I am sure it adds a very interesting and unusual layer of flavor to the sauce that you prepared in the slowcooker – fall is a wonderful season filled with so much good food and your recipe is a wonderful addition to all those fall recipes. Well done.
Thank you also for the very lovely comment that you left on my blog – very much appreciated!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thank you so much for you comment on my blog. I especially love it since it brought me back to yours. I love your site. I am trying your cauliflower potato salad. You son and daughter-in-law are a darling couple. Best wishes to them for a long loving life together.
Thank you Karen. You have a terrific blog. I look forward to visiting often.
Oh, boy, what an excellent tip! Instead of sugar, I’m going to add some pumpkin puree to my next batch of spaghetti sauce….I will start slow so not to arouse any suspicion
Ha! You really can’t taste it, or I think my husband would have jumped ship very quickly. It’s very subtle. I bet you can get away with it.
What a terrific way to get more pumpkin in one’s diet! I’m really guilty of using it for pie, and little else. Silly because it’s so flavorful. Really like this idea – I’ll definitely try adding pumpkin to some of my pasta sauce. Thank you.
kitchenriffs recently posted…Pink Dal with Swiss Chard
It goes great in all kinds of dishes and it’s such a fiber filled, antioxidant filled squash. You can take a small can and add it by the tablespoon to oatmeal with a little cinnamon. It’s wonderful!
I’ve seen so many different versions of pumpkin puree and pasta. One of these days, I’m finally going to have to try it!
Mary recently posted…Vegetable Marinara Sauce with Fresh Basil
It’s definitely worth a try. I’m off to check out your Marinara. I adore fresh basil!
I never made spaghetti sauce in a slow cooker but keep meaning too. I am a fan of pumpkin puree in like everything, this is a great addition to the sauce. A keeper.
Evelyne@cheapethniceatz recently posted…Caldo de Papas y Cilantro: Potatoes and Coriander Soup from the Canary Islands
It really did work out well. I think my favorite thing about fall is getting to take out my slow cooker. The problem is that I usually make enough in that large slow cooker for an army and there’s only two of us at home now. I need to buy a smaller one.
oh my gosh, i just love the pumpkin in here! such a wonderful addition!
It really worked well to thicken the sauce too. Thanks for visiting!
I love all your recipes! Adn that is so with the season and healthy. You rock Mother Rimmey!
Jenny (VintageSugarcube) recently posted…Big Thanks & Wedding Cakes [Baked Buttermilk Strawberry Shortcakes]
Thanks Jenny! Have a terrific week.
That sauce looks so great – super bright and vibrant. Genius to serve it over quinoa – I’ll need to try using quinoa instead of pasta or rice soon.
Food Jaunts recently posted…Italian Turkey Broccoli Focaccia Sandwich
It’s about the same price as flour pastas and I love it so much better!
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