Spaghetti Bolognese

Way back when I first started cooking, I relied pretty heavily on Kraft Foods. I like how most of the recipes on their site use relatively few ingredients, and they're usually ingredients I have in my fridge or cupboard anyway. I don't use that site anywhere near as frequently as I used to, but I still get the Kraft Food & Family magazine every quarter. This last magazine, the "1 Bag, 5 Dinners" section caught my eye. I previously had noticed that section, but just sort of blew on past it without giving it much attention. However, for some reason, this time it got me thinking. So, off to the website I went to see if their website had any such suggestions. Well, it did. After careful consideration, my husband and I decided on one to give a try. Our first experiment is what they call "Spaghetti with Zesty Bolognese."

Truth be told, Bolognese this absolutely is not. But, it was really good, and really easy, and came together in about 25 minutes. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who specifically asked me for a great Bolognese sauce recipe (Tyler Florence has a great one), but I would recommend it to someone just looking for some good, relatively healthy pasta.



Spaghetti with Zesty "Bolognese"
Recipe from Kraft Foods, adapted (my changes noted)
Serves 4
Total Cook Time - 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS
12 oz dry spaghetti noodles
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef (I used 1/2 lb)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper, to taste
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup Italian dressing
2 TBSP Cream cheese, softened (I used 2 oz)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
dash red pepper flakes
Flat-leaf Parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Meanwhile, saute onions & garlic in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add ground beef and brown. Season with salt & pepper, to taste.

Add tomatoes, Italian dressing, & Italian seasoning, & parsley. I also added a cube of frozen basil from Trader Joe's. Bring to a low boil. Add red pepper flakes.

Add cream cheese and stir in until melted and well-combined. Toss with pasta. Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.