Pasta Bolognese

Pasta is a big winner in my household. My son LOVES it and I can be sure he eats his veggies because the sauce is packed with it! If you have a small family like mine(only 3 of us here)you will have leftovers to eat the next day. Makes a great lunch to take to work.

1 lb. extra lean ground beef(normally I advocate substituting turkey where you can, but it just doesn't taste as good here).
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, diced
Handful of italian parsley, chopped
6-8 leaves of basil, sliced
1 small can sliced olives
Pinch of red pepper
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 lb. of whole wheat spaghetti noodles
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1/4 C. parmigiano reggiano cheese, finely grated

In a skillet, heat olive oil to nearly smoking and add in onions. Saute for about 3 minutes and then add in the celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook until veggies soften a bit and then add ground beef. Cook until beef is crumbled and is no longer pink. Add in the parsley and some black pepper. Add tomatoes and olives and simmer for about 30 minutes until sauce is slightly reduced. Add basil, salt, cheese and red pepper. Check for taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Enjoy over al dente spaghetti noodles. Serves many.