Old-Fashioned Spaghetti and Meatballs

By Ellie

6 Person

75 Minutes

486 Calories

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

Ingredients

Sauce and Spaghetti

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, or Romano cheese (1 ounce)
1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti, or linguine
½ cup slivered fresh basil leaves, or chopped fresh parsley
4 cups prepared marinara sauce

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
4 oz. hot Italian sausage
4 oz. lean ground beef
½ cup hot water
⅓ cup bulgur

Method

01

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.
02

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a rack with cooking spray and place it over a baking sheet lined with foil.
03

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.
04

To prepare sauce and 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).
05

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.
06

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 ⅓ cup.

Related Tags

Old-Fashioned Spaghetti and Meatballs

4.8

( By Ellie )

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

01 Information

Grade easy
Serving 6 servings
Calorie 486 Kcal
Prep Time 40 Mins
Cook Time 35 Mins
Total Time 75 Mins

02 Ingredients

Sauce and Spaghetti

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, or Romano cheese (1 ounce)

1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti, or linguine

½ cup slivered fresh basil leaves, or chopped fresh parsley

4 cups prepared marinara sauce

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat

½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried oregano

3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

1 medium onion, very finely chopped

4 oz. hot Italian sausage

4 oz. lean ground beef

½ cup hot water

⅓ cup bulgur

03 Method

Step 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.

Step 2

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

Step 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.

Step 4

To prepare sauce and 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).

Step 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.

Step 6

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 ⅓ cup.

04 Author