Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Spaghetti and Meatballs

Be sure to finely mince the onion as there is a lot of it in this recipe and you don’t want to bite down on a big chunk. Do this by hand–never chop onions in a food processor, as the extreme overcutting that can’t help but occur makes onions taste sour. I like to buy a fresh chunk of Parmesan cheese and grate it myself. The flavor will be much stronger than that of the grocery store brands that you buy pregrated


Ingredients

Olive oil spray (propellant free)
1/2 cup all-natural whole wheat panko-style bread crumbs
2 cups loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
1 large egg
3/4 cup minced sweet onion
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound 96% lean ground beef
3 cups all-natural low-fat, low-salt, no-sugar-added marinara sauce (I used Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce)
6 oz whole wheat or whole grain spaghetti
4 teaspoons freshly grated all-natural Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly mist a large nonstick baking sheet with spray.

To the bowl of a food processor fitted with a chopping blade, add the bread crumbs and parsley. Process until they are chopped finely, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed. Transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl and stir in the milk and egg white. Add the onion, salt, pepper, and ground beef and mix until well combined. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions and roll each into a ball. Place the meat-balls side by side, so they do not touch on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until just barely pink inside.

Meanwhile, add the marinara sauce to a medium nonstick saucepan with a lid and heat over medium heat, stirring often, until hot. Then turn the heat to low.

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, omitting any oil or butter. When the meatballs are cooked, add them to the sauce and stir with a wooden spoon to coat them.

When the pasta is cooked, divide it among 4 pasta bowls. Add 3 meatballs to each bowl, then divide the sauce evenly among them. Top each with 1 teaspoon of the Parmesan.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 398 calories, 33 g protein, 49 g carbohydrates (6 g sugar), 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 62 mg cholesterol, 9 g fiber, 518 mg sodium

Reprinted from: The Biggest Loser Flavors of the World Cookbook by Devin Alexander (c) 2011 by Universal Studios Licensing LLLP. The Biggest Loser (TM ) and NBC Studios, Inc., and Reveille LLC. Permission granted by Rodale, Inc. Available wherever books are sold. www.devinalexander.com

Photo Credit: Mitch Mandel

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