Old-Fashioned Spaghetti & Meatballs
To stretch the ground beef, we use high-fiber bulgur and whole-wheat breadcrumbs in the meatballs, which are baked rather than fried.
Ingredients
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1/3 cup bulgur
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1/2 cup hot water
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4 ounces lean ground beef
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4 ounces hot Italian sausage
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1 medium onion, very finely chopped
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2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
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3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
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1 teaspoon dried oregano
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
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1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat (see Tip)
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4 cups prepared marinara sauce
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1/2 cup slivered fresh basil leaves, or chopped fresh parsley
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1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti, or linguine
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1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, or Romano cheese (1 ounce)
Directions
1.
To prepare meatballs: Combine bulgur and water in a small bowl. Let stand until the bulgur is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.
2.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a rack with cooking spray and place it over a baking sheet lined with foil.
3.
Combine ground beef, sausage, onion, egg whites, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs and the soaked bulgur in a large bowl; mix well. Form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs (about 24). Place the meatballs on the rack and bake for 25 minutes. Blot well with paper towel.
4.
To prepare sauce & spaghetti: Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil. Bring sauce to a simmer in a Dutch oven. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in basil (or parsley).
5.
Meanwhile, cook spaghetti (or linguine) until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with the sauce and meatballs and serve with grated cheese.
Tip:
Tip: To make fresh breadcrumbs: Trim crusts from firm sandwich bread. Tear the bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice makes about 1/3 cup.
Nutrition information
Calories 496, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Monounsaturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 28 mg, Sodium 568 mg, Carbohydrate 86 g, Fiber 18 g, Protein 27 g, Potassium 405 mg. Daily Values: Vitamin A 25%, Vitamin C 35%, Calcium 25%, Iron 30%. Exchanges: Starch 5,Vegetable 3,Medium-Fat Meat 1.5.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
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