One-Pot Spaghetti
Serves 4

• 2 tbsps. cooking oil
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1/2 lb. ground turkey, beef, or sausage
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 (14-oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 lb. dried pasta
• 2 cups water
• Grated Parmesan (optional)

In a large pot, heat the oil and saute the onion until translucent. Add the meat and herbs and cook slowly, breaking up the lumps of meat with a spoon, until the meat is brown and cooked through. If you feel like it, drain off the fat. Add the spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Now add the pasta and the 2 cups of water and bring to a boil, stirring. Then lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for half an hour. (Stir frequently to make sure pasta doesn't scorch on the bottom.) If the mixture looks too dry, add up to half a cup of water. After half an hour, the pasta will be cooked through and the sauce thickened. Give it a final stir and serve with cheese.

What's Good for You
Don't fret if your kids are pasta-hounds — they need the carbs for energy and growth. And this recipe is chock-full of folate, essential for red blood cell production.

Author of "One Bite Won't Kill You" and two other cookbooks, Ann Hodgman lives in Washington, CT, with her husband and two children, who, much to their mother's relief, have grown past the stage of picky eating.