Beef and Pasta Stew

This is a yummy, quick and easy crockpot reciepe. It is full of veggies and grains and is a complete meal by itself. The nice thing about this reciepe is you can add extra veggies or subtract veggies that you don't like.

BEEF AND PASTA STEW

4 cups water
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups quartered small red potatos
1 cup dried Great Northern or navy beans
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup quartered mushrooms
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
1/2 pound lean boneless round steak, cut into small pieces
1 (14.5 ounce) can pasta-style chunky tomatoes, undrained
1 (14 ounce) can fat-free, less sodium beef broth
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 cup sliced zucchini
1 cup torn fresh spinach
1/2 cup uncooked ziti
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine first 11 ingredients in a large slow cooke. Cover with lid, and cook on high for 6 hours. Add zucchini and next 7 ingredients; cover and cook on high an additional 30 minutes or until beans are tender. Ladle into soup bowls, and sprinkle with cheese.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups stew and 1 tablespoon cheese) Calories per serving 287.