Cheesy Tomato Cream Pasta

My dad hates traditional spaghetti and even he liked the twist this recipe gives it. The base of this recipe is from The Food Nanny but I put my own spin on it.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 cups sliced mushrooms
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes undrained (I used homemade stewed tomatoes)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, Plus additional for sprinkling
1/2 cup cream or half and half
1/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese, about 2 ounces
20 fresh basil leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon course salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
8 ounces uncooked pasta of your choice

Directions

Cook meat and drain set aside. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.Cook and stir the garlic and onion until you smell the aroma.  Add beef to onion and garlic.  Remove from the heat and add the tomatoes, mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, cream, ricotta, basil, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper.  Cook over low heat until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain. Serve sauce over pasta.

Serves 4

**For a smoother sauce, puree the tomatoes first in a blender for a few seconds.

Enjoy!