Penne Pasta with Meat Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound penne pasta (use rice pasta for gluten-free version)
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion (from about 1 large onion)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (blend of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and savory)
• Dash red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme (or a pinch of dried)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound (16% fat) ground beef
• 2 1/2 cups canned chunky tomato sauce (almost 1 28-ounce can, Muir Glen brand if you can get it)
• 3 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or a 1/2 teaspoon of dried)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley