Rigatoni with Meat Sauce and Swiss Chard
Rigatoni with Meat Sauce and Swiss Chard…Who says you can’t have pasta and reach your goals? Pasta might be one of my all-time favorites and yet so many people think that you can’t eat pasta and lose weight. Well, that is where they are wrong, and knowing how to count macros and understanding the IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) makes enjoying the foods you love while also reaching your goals possible!
Ingredients to make Rigatoni with Meat Sauce and Swiss Chard:
- 2¼ cup Rigatoni Pasta (about 168 grams)
- 16 oz 96% Lean Ground Beef
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 cup 2% Milk
- ½ cup Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese (about 50 grams)
- 1 can Crushed Tomatoes (about 1, 28-ounce can))
- 1 tsp Thyme
- ½ tsp Red Pepper Flake
- 1 bunch Swiss Chard thick stem/spin removed, then roughly chopped, (about 175 grams)
Instructions
- Start by bringing about 5 cups of water to boil. Once boiling, add your pasta to the water and cook for 8-9 minutes. Once cooked strain and set aside until it’s time to add to the rest of the recipe.
- While the pasta is boiling heat a large stovetop pan to medium heat. Once the pan is hot add your ground beef to the pan. Season with pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Using a spatula break the ground beef up into pea-sized pieces.
- Cook the beef stirring often to prevent burning for about 6-8 minutes, until the majority of the pink color is gone.
- Then add the milk and cheese to the ground beef. Turn the heat up to high and allow to boil about 2 minutes.
- After 2 minutes turn the heat back down to medium and add your crushed tomatoes, thyme, and red pepper flake. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, just enough to warm the tomatoes.
- Now add your chopped swiss chard and cooked pasta, stir into your meat sauce until the swiss chard has wilted and your sauce has thickened. Serve with a sprinkle of red pepper flake or cheese and enjoy!
Rigatoni with Meat Sauce and Swiss Chard
Ingredients
- 2¼ cup Rigatoni Pasta (about 168 grams)
- 16 oz 96% Lean Ground Beef
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 cup 2% Milk
- ½ cup Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese (about 50 grams)
- 1 can Crushed Tomatoes (about 1, 28 ounce can))
- 1 tsp Thyme
- ½ tsp Red Pepper Flake
- 1 bunch Swiss Chard thick stem/spin removed, then roughly chopped, (about 175 grams)
Instructions
- Start by bringing about 5 cups of water to boil. Once boiling, add your pasta to the water and cook for 8-9 minutes. Once cooked strain and set aside until it's time to add to the rest of the recipe.
- While the pasta is boiling heat a large stovetop pan to medium heat. Once the pan is hot add your ground beef to the pan. Season with pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Using a spatula break the ground beef up into pea-sized pieces.
- Cook the beef stirring often to prevent burning for about 6-8 minutes, until the majority of the pink color is gone.
- Then add the milk and cheese to the ground beef. Turn the heat up to high and allow to boil about 2 minutes.
- After 2 minutes turn the heat back down to medium and add your crushed tomatoes, thyme, and red pepper flake. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, just enough to warm the tomatoes.
- Now add your chopped swiss chard and cooked pasta, stir into your meat sauce until the swiss chard has wilted and your sauce has thickened. Serve with a sprinkle of red pepper flake or cheese and enjoy!
Macro Nutrition
Macro Adjustments:
Below outlines the items in each macro group that are easily adjustable to meet your specific macros.
Fat:
The fat in this recipe comes from the beef, cheese, and milk. The easiest way to increase the fat would be to use fattier ground beef. If you are looking to decrease the fat, the easiest way would be to reduce the amount of cheese you use.
Carbohydrates:
The carbs in this recipe come mainly from the pasta. The easiest way to adjust the carbs would be to increase or decrease the amount of pasta used.
Protein:
The protein in this recipe comes from the beef. The beef also has fat, therefore if you adjust the amount of beef used you will be adjusting both the protein and the fat. So pay close attention to your measurements and tracking when making adjustments to reach your macro goals.
Meal Prep:
Yes. This is a great recipe for meal prep. In the fridge, this recipe will last about 6 days.
Freezer Friendly:
Yes, this is a good freezer-friendly recipe. When reheating I recommend allowing it to defrost overnight in the fridge. Then reheat in either the microwave or on the stovetop. On the stove will provide the best results. But either will work just fine.
If you love pasta like this Rigatoni with Meat Sauce and Swiss Chard, then you are going to want to check out these other favorites!
