Whole-Wheat Fusilli with Beef Ragu

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/whole_wheat_fusilli_with_beef_ragu.html

From EatingWell:  Spring 2004, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004)

This chunky, full-bodied sauce is a good match for hearty whole-wheat pasta. We've augmented a little lean ground beef with mushrooms to get a rich, meaty sauce that has a minimum of saturated fat.

6 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 8 ounces 90%-lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 6 ounces cremini, or baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean and coarsely chopped (2 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, (not drained)
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1-2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
• Large pinch of crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 12 ounces whole-wheat fusilli, or rotini
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, (optional)
• 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, (optional)

Preparation

1. Cook beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a strainer or colander and drain off fat.
2. Heat oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and begins to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and mash with a potato masher. Add wine, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, salt and the meat; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the flavors have developed, about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 9 to 11 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and toss with the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Pass Parmesan separately, if using.

Nutrition

Per serving : 318 Calories; 3 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 1 g Mono; 23 mg Cholesterol; 55 g Carbohydrates; 17 g Protein; 9 g Fiber; 213 mg Sodium; 418 mg Potassium

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean protein

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 3. Cover and refrigerate the sauce for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

• If you're only serving 2 or 3 people, toss half the sauce with 6 ounces cooked pasta; freeze the remaining sauce. If you're serving more than 6 or are just feeling industrious, you can easily double the sauce recipe
• Pasta cooked al dente has a lower glycemic index than overcooked pasta, and whole-wheat choices are lower than white.