Light Slow Cooker Spaghetti

When my kids were young and funds were short, we ate a lot of spaghetti. In those days I made it from scratch – meaning jarred sauce wasn’t in the pantry, just lots of cans of tomatoes.

I still make spaghetti the same way. I love to meld the flavors myself, cooking the sauce for hours in my slow cooker. Using shredded veggies, and very lean beef, I can keep the calories in check. I top whole wheat spaghetti with this slow cooked sauce, and I’m back in the day.

Do I miss those days? Sometimes, but life is good at almost 50, so I’ll just make my spaghetti and enjoy the memories.

Happy cooking!

Servings: 4 large servings

1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound extra lean beef, 4% fat
4 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 – 6 oz cans tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup red wine
3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 cups water
1 large carrot , shredded
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1 package mushroom , sliced
6 ounces spaghetti
pinch red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and beef until beef is cooked through. Approximately 5 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker and cook for 6 – 8 hours, dependent on how hot your slow cooker cooks food.
3. Cook spaghetti according to package directions and serve sauce over pasta.

What’s good for me in this dish?

Lean beef is high in tryptophan and protein. Chock full of vitamins B12, B6, B3 and B2, beef has cardiovascular benefits, as well as the ability to prevent colon cancer. Beef also contains iron, selenium and zinc.

Tomatoes provide a great source of vitamins C, A and K, not to mention the antioxidant and cancer preventing benefits of Lycopene.  Tomatoes support colon and prostate health, and are a good source of potassium, niacin, vitamin B6, and folate to support a healthy heart.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 426
Total Fat: 9.37g
Cholesterol: 70mg
Sodium: 445mg
Total Carbs: 50.39g
Dietary Fiber: 5.83g
Sugars: 10.56g
Protein: 33.60g

Weight Watchers Points 9

Nutrition details obtained from whfoods.org, nutritiondata.com, about.com, and abouthomecooking.com.

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