American Chop Suey, Enhanced!

1 LB box of pasta, any style, whole wheat or whole wheat blend (estimate 200 cals per 2 oz serving)
2 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium onions)
2 cloves minced garlic
1.25 LB ground beef, lean (85/15)
1 cup chopped green pepper (about 1 large)
2 cups sliced/chopped zucchini (about 2 small zucchini)
1 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 10 ounce box frozen kale (about 1 cup cooked chopped kale)
1 16 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed.

Saute the onion in a non stick pan until glassy. Add the minced garlic, saute briefly. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. When the meat is browned, add the green pepper and zucchini. Continue to saute until the vegetables are soft. Add the tomatoes and beans. Cover and simmer until heated through.

In the meantime, boil the pasta according to the package directions.

To the sauce, add the tomato paste, stir uncovered until sauce is thickened. You may want to add some water if consistency is too thick (use the cooking water from the pasta).

Drain the pasta, and toss with the sauce.

The serving size is about 2 cups.

Number of Servings: 9

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user ANNEROUSSEAU.