Spaghetti with Vegetable and Meat Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 zucchini
• 2 carrots
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Freshly cracked pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
• 24 oz. jar pasta sauce
• 12 oz. spaghetti

Directions

1. Warm the olive oil in a large, deep skillet, then add the ground beef. Cook it over medium heat, breaking it up as it browns, until no longer raw. As the beef cooks, finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. When the beef is cooked through, stir in the onion and garlic, and keep cooking until the onion turns soft and translucent.
2. While that mixture is cooking, grate the zucchini and carrots on the large holes of a cheese grater. Once shredded, you should have about 1 to 1.5 cups of each.
3. Stir the shredded zucchini and carrots into the skillet, then add the basil, oregano, freshly cracked pepper, salt, and a pinch of red pepper. Cook, stirring as needed, until the vegetables have softened, about 7-10 minutes.
4. Pour in the pasta sauce and warm everything through. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, then drain it in a colander. Put the drained spaghetti back in the pot with the heat off. Add 1 cup of the finished sauce and toss until the pasta is coated. Spoon the spaghetti into serving bowls and add more sauce on top.