Spaghetti "Bolognese"

This recipe, from Better Home & Gardens Biggest Book of 30 Minute Meals, is on the top of my favorites list for this blog so far. You may look at the photo and think, "Oh, that's just your ordinary spaghetti with meat sauce," but you'd be delightfully wrong because it's vegetarian! That's no ground beef -- that's Grape Nut cereal!

Before you close your browser tab in disgust, let me reveal that because of this recipe, I may never make spaghetti with meat sauce again. The mild-tasting Grape Nut cereal provides the perfect sauce texture while soaking in all the savory onion, garlic, and oregano flavors. In my opinion, ground beef can overwhelm those flavors. Plus the wheat cereal is so much better for you!

I've been dying for two weeks to catch up with my blogs so I could finally post this recipe! I think my vegetarian friends will appreciate it. I'm already planning to make it again next week!

Spaghetti with Vegetarian Sauce "Bolognese"
4 servings

Ingredients
6 ounces dried spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced (optional)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 - 14 1/2 can stewed tomatoes, undrained and cut up
1 - 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup Grape Nuts cereal

Instructions
1. In a medium saucepan heat oil over medium-high heat. Add carrot, celery, onion, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper; cook about 5 minutes or until onion is tender.

2. Drain canned stewed tomato juice into saucepan then cut the stewed tomatoes on a cutting board. Transfer tomatoes to saucepan. Add tomato sauce and the water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cereal; return to boiling. Remove from heat.