Old-Fashioned Spaghetti & Meatballs

From EatingWell: Fall 2004, September/October 1995, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004) — Subscribe Now!

To stretch the ground beef, we use high-fiber bulgur and whole-wheat breadcrumbs in the meatballs, which are baked rather than fried.

READER'S COMMENT:

"I used canned tomatoes and some extra seasoning instead of marinara sauce and it tasted great. I also used turkey italian sausage instead of pork. Also, I've been subbing quick oats for breadcrumbs in my meatball and meatloaf recipe for...

Old-Fashioned Spaghetti & Meatballs Recipe

6 servings

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 1/4 hours

Nutrition Profile

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

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.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a rack with cooking spray and place it over a baking sheet lined with foil.
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.
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).
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; 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).

4 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 5 starch, 3 vegetable, 1 1/2 medium-fat meat