Hidden Veggie Meat Pasta Sauce

I am a big fan of beefing dishes up with veggies. Not only does it make the meal much bigger for the same amount of WW points, it also can save you money. You can use less meat, which is expensive, and have your entire meal be much cheaper, and you don't even know what you are missing!

Whenever I make this meat sauce, it is slightly different, as I don't use a recipe. I am going to try and remember the exact measurements I used, but you can vary the amounts of spices you would like to use.

5 Servings/2 pts ea. (about 3/4 C) (This is only for sauce, you need to add additional points for pasta)

1/2 large onion or 1 small onion, chopped finely
1/2 lb. extra lean ground beef (4% fat)
1 large zucchini (grated)
5 oz. sliced mushrooms (chopped finely (I use food processor)
3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed (can add more if you wish)
1 T oregano
1 T basil (can add more if you wish)
3 cans diced tomatoes (garlic, basil and oregano style, the ones with no sweeteners)
1 sm. can tomato sauce
2 T tomato paste
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 T balsamic vinegar

Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Cook onions until soft. Add ground beef and cook till brown. Add shredded zucchini and finely chopped mushrooms. Add garlic, oregano and basil. Stir till combined. Add add 2 cans diced tomatoes, sauce and tomato paste. The third can of diced tomatoes you need to blend up in food processor or blender until tomatoes are finely chopped. Add to sauce mixture. Finally, add the balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire Sauce. Bring to a boil and then turn down temperature to low and simmer for a while. I simmered it for 1 1/2 hours, that is great if you have the time, but it probably needs to simmer at least 20-30 minutes to blend flavors.

When I served this over high-fiber or whole wheat pasta, my husband really liked it. It makes a very nice serving size with the pasta, and is very filling. He was very surprised when I told him that it was full of veggies. Your family will never know!