Spaghetti & Meatballs

3. Spaghetti & Meatballs
It’s a classic! Everything about our take on the Italian favorite will be familiar (tomato sauce, Parmesan, tender balls of meat), except the fat count!

Our cleaned-up redo of this timeless classic conjures up memories of your favorite Italian restaurant meal, but with less fat!

Photo: Maya Visnyei

By Julie O'Hara

Serves: 4
Hands-on time: 45 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
You Save: 271 calories, 15 grams Total Fat, 7 g Saturated Fat, 1,164 mg Sodium.

INGREDIENTS:

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 2 slices soft whole-wheat bread, crusts removed (about 1 1/4 oz after trimming)
• 3 tbsp 2% milk
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 6 oz lean ground turkey
• 6 oz lean ground beef
• 1 large egg
• 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, divided
• 1/8 tsp sea salt, plus additional to taste
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 26-oz box unsalted chopped tomatoes (TRY: Pomi Chopped Tomatoes)
• 1 tbsp low-sodium tomato paste
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
• 7 oz whole-wheat spaghetti

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray. Tear bread into 1/3-inch cubes and add to a large bowl. Add milk and stir until bread is moist. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet on medium-high, heat oil. Add onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Add 1/3 of onion mixture to bowl with bread. Reserve remaining onion mixture in skillet and set aside.
3. To bowl with bread, add turkey, beef, egg, Parmesan, 2 tbsp parsley, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/8 tsp salt and black pepper. Stir gently until combined. Gently roll meat mixture into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet 1-inch apart, making about 20 meatballs. Bake, turning halfway through, until outsides are lightly browned and centers are no longer pink, 17 to 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, return skillet with remaining onion mixture to stove top. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, pepper flakes and remaining 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning and turn heat to medium-high. Before sauce boils, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Stir in honey and additional salt. Reduce heat to low and add basil and meatballs. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 more minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and return to pot, off the heat. Add sauce and meatball mixture to pot; stir to combine. Divide among serving bowls and sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp parsley.

Nutrients per serving (1/4 Spaghetti & Meatballs): Calories: 429, Total Fat: 9 g, Sat. Fat: 2 g, Carbs: 52 g, Fiber: 13 g, Sugars: 16 g, Protein: 34 g, Sodium: 306 mg, Cholesterol: 101 m
g