This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Barilla. The opinions and text are all mine.

A spicy, pasta dish with a Mexican spin. Spaghetti tossed with lean ground beef, chipotle peppers and cotija cheese.

A Mother’s job is never done! Isn’t that the truth? What helps keep me sane is getting together with my female friends. Once a month we have Ladies night, a little wine, some delicious food and a whole lot of laughter. I also get together with some of my “Mommy” friends for breakfast once a month. We moved to Georgia when my daughter was 2 1/2 years old and knew absolutely no one. So I joined a Mom’s Club. The best part of the club was the weekly play date with kids the same age as mine. Thank goodness for two of those ladies. We all happened to be “older” Moms and just clicked. There was no pressure or competition. It was so nice to have women of my age to talk to that were dealing with kids the same age, too. We drifted apart once the kids started school, but started our monthly breakfast meeting a few months ago. I love getting advice from them and just talking about life. One thing we all seem to have in common is being on overload. There are not enough hours in a day.

Even though cooking is my job, I still have a hard time getting dinner on the table each night. Having some quick and easy recipes up my sleeve helps. I always keep a variety of shapes and sizes pasta in the pantry that I bought at Walmart. While the water is boiling for the pasta, I can prep and make the sauce. Then, Violá, dinner is on the table. Having a dish that can be on the table in 30 minutes is a huge plus. Barilla® Spaghetti with Ground Beef, Chipotle and Cojita Cheese is one of those quick and easy recipes.

Put your water on to boil and start browning the meat. While the meat is cooking, I chopped the poblano and chipotle. A little word to the wise about chipotle peppers. They are s-p-i-c-y. If you have a husband like mine who never thinks anything is spicy enough, throw in a half of a can. For me the perfect amount was four. I just adore the smoky flavor the chipotle gives to the dish; but four chipotle is too much for my little one. She is getting quite a tolerance for spicy food, but I would use two chipotle for her. If I was making this for my spice resistant Mom, I would use one.

After that you add the tomatoes and water and let the sauce simmer. This is where the magic happens. Simmering the sauce for a few minutes develops the flavor.

Once the sauce is ready, add in the pasta. Do not forget this step. I like to use tongs and really toss the sauce and the pasta together until they become one. It is a marriage made in heaven. In my house, no pasta dish would be complete without a little cheese to top it off. Sprinkle the cojita cheese on top of each plate and dinner is served.  It really is that simple to put a healthy and delicious meal on the table with Barilla® spaghetti.  What more could a busy mom want?  Tell me how you celebrate the Mother’s in your life?

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Christie Daruwalla

Yields 7

Serves About 1 1/2 cups

Spaghetti with Ground Beef, Chipotle and Cotija Cheese

5 minPrep Time

25 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

• 1 package Barilla® whole grain spaghetti
• 1 lb. extra lean ground beef
• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely minced
• 1/2 cup diced poblano
• 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
2. Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet brown and crumble the beef.
3. Add the chipotle and poblano sauteing for 1 minute.
4. Add the tomatoes, water and salt.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions.  Drain.
6. Toss the spaghetti with the sauce and top with cheese.

Notes

I calculated 9 Weight Watcher smart points

7.8.1.2

399

https://fooddonelight.com/spaghetti-with-ground-beef-chipotle-and-cotija-cheese/

Recipe courtesy of Barilla®

Happy Healthy Eating,

Christie

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Barilla. The opinions and text are all mine.