Photo: Old-Fashioned Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
Notes
Where we saved fat: stretched out the decadence of the beef by adding a Portobello mushroom and using an egg white; we added fiber by using whole-wheat spaghetti.
Ingredients
- 1 slice whole-wheat sandwich bread, ground into coarse crumbs
- 8 ounces ground sirloin
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 portobello mushroom, stem removed and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1 large egg white
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed by hand
- 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1 small bunch fresh basil
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
- Parmesan, for serving, optional
Pulse the sandwich bread in a food processor to form coarse crumbs. Add the beef, 1/4 cup onion, mushroom, 1 tablespoon garlic, parsley, and egg white; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; pulse again to finely chop and combine. Portion into about 20 meatballs (about 1-inch in diameter) and place on a plate.
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat; add the remaining garlic and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and broth. Tie sprigs of basil and thyme together with kitchen twine; add to the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Add the meatballs and continue to simmer, without stirring, until the meatballs are partially cooked, about 10 minutes. Turn the meatballs; cook 10 minutes more or until fully cooked.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water; serve the meatballs and sauce over the spaghetti.
Nutritional analysis per serving (analysis without optional Parmesan)
Calories 413; Total Fat 11g (Sat Fat 2.2g, Mono Fat 6.2g, Poly Fat 1.4g) ; Protein 24g; Carb 59g; Fiber 10g; Cholesterol 30mg; Sodium 639mg
Review This Recipe
You must be signed in to review this recipe.
or Register to Review
Newest Ratings and Reviews
Read all 11 reviews
By evehuffman
on January 10, 2012
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
The meatballs were excellent. I baked them at 350 for 15 minutes to release some of the fat before adding them to the sauce. I did add tomato paste to the sauce. I also serve over spaghetti squash to further reduce calorie and carbs. Since it was time consuming, I made a double batch of meatballs and triple batch of sauce. I froze what we didn't eat so we have another meal ready whenever we are.
By sueguy12
Tennessee
on January 03, 2012
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
Excellent meatball recipe. The sauce was good just not enough of it. Next time I will probably add some tomato paste and a little more broth. My husband and I like vermicelli noodles more than spaghetti, may try that next time also. This is definitely a keeper and it did not take me any longer to fix it that the 40 minutes specified.
By desiree_333
on August 30, 2011
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
Definitely took way longer than indicated, but overall I enjoyed this recipe especially because it was healthy. I used turkey instead of beef,added squash, zucchini, sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and a half can of tomato paste for thickness. I will never buy a jar of spaghetti sauce ever again!
Read all 11 reviews