Sunday, April 22, 2012

Old-Fashioned Spaghetti & Meatballs

I found this yummy recipe for  old fashioned spaghetti meatballs
This is just one of the new recipes I will be trying out this week.
Can not wait to see how my family reacts! 

6 servings
Active Time: 
Total Time: 

INGREDIENTS

MEATBALLS

  • 1/3 cup bulgur
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 4 ounces lean ground beef
  • 4 ounces hot Italian sausage
  • 1 medium onion, very finely chopped
  • 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
  • 3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat (see Tip)

SAUCE & SPAGHETTI

  • 4 cups prepared marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup slivered fresh basil leaves, or chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti, or linguine
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, or Romano cheese (1 ounce)

PREPARATION

  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°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.

TIPS & NOTES

  • 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

Per serving: 496 calories; 8 g fat ( 3 g sat , 3 g mono ); 28 mg cholesterol; 86 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 27 g protein; 18 g fiber; 568 mg sodium; 405 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (72% daily value), Vitamin C (35% dv), Iron (30% dv), Calcium (25% dv), Vitamin A (25% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 4 1/2