Leap into Spring with a complex carbo pasta for your work-out

Today marks the first day of Spring. It's time to hit the outdoors, Spring through Summer. If you find yourself walking, jogging, swimming or cycling in the outdoors more often, pack up on those carbo (eg. pasta) that is good for you. Of course, don't forget the H2O and sunscreen! I've just whipped up a simple pasta dish to give you more energy that last till...summer? What kind of sauce would you like? Cream-based, tomato-based or simply aglio e olio?

I want that sauce "trapped" in those hollow tubes so that no sauce can escape! OK, you shall have a medium-heavy tomato-based sauce of meat, mushrooms, and onions, holding well in the hollows of penne pasta. For once, something "complex" is good for you! Yes, complex carbo such as pasta is good for you, especially if you are an athlete or heads the gym regularly. Mmmmm... ...just in time for Presto Pasta Nights.


Penne mushroom and beef bolognese (serves 2-3)
Ingredients:
-1/2lb penne pasta
-1/2lb ground beef(substitute: ground turkey)
-4oz white mushrooms, sliced
-3tbsp chopped onions
- Classico Triple Mushroom sauce (with portobello & crimini mushroom chucks...yum yum)
-olive oil

Method:
1. Boil pasta in boiling water, with some salt. Takes about 7-9mins.
2.Heat oil in frying pan, add mushrooms, and onions and cook till soften
3.Add in ground beef, and cook till beef changes color
4.Add in sauce and stir well
5. By this time, the penne pasta is cooked in the boiling water. Drain pasta and add to the sauce mixture, stir and mix well
6.Dish up and serve

Pasta shapes are designed not to only look attractive but to "pick up" and convey" sauce to your mouth. A simple key to pasta shape and sauce matching :
-Long thin pasta go with sauces that are thin or have finely-cut ingredients(eg. spaghettini or angel hair with lemon and cream suace);
-Long flat pasta suit slightly heavier sauces;
-Short pasta with indentations and cavities are tailored for thick chucky sauces (eg. penne-quills or fusilli - twists, with chucky mushroom bolognese sauce)

Tag: penne, mushrooms, beef, bolognese