Slow-Simmered Meat Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped carrot

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 (4-ounce) links hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1 pound ground sirloin

1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

1/4 cup no-salt-added tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes, undrained

1 cup no-salt-added tomato sauce

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

16 ounces uncooked mafaldine pasta

1/2 cup torn fresh basil

3 ounces shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and carrot to pan; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Place vegetable mixture in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add sausage and beef to skillet; sauté 6 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove beef mixture from skillet using a slotted spoon. Place beef mixture on a double layer of paper towels; drain. Add beef mixture to slow cooker. Stir olives and next 6 ingredients (through tomato sauce) into slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours. Stir in oregano.

2. Prepare pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Serve sauce with hot cooked pasta; top with basil and cheese.