This healthier spaghetti and meatballs dish uses fresh ingredients like carrots and fresh garlic in the sauce and whole wheat bread crumbs and fresh parsley in the meatballs. Serve over any whole grain pasta.
Prep Time::25 mins
Cook Time:: 1 hr 40 mins
Total Time:: 2 hrs 5 mins
Servings::6
Ingredients
Meatballs:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Sauce:
¼ cup olive oil
¾ cup chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 large bay leaf
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 basil leaves, torn, plus additional for sprinkling on top
Directions
Make the meatballs: Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, beaten egg, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. Form into 12 balls. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Make the sauce: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
Stir in tomato paste, pepper, and basil; stir in meatballs. Simmer on low heat until meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).
Discard bay leaf before serving.
Editor's Note:
This recipe is a healthier version of Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs.