To stretch the ground beef, we use high-fiber bulgur and whole-wheat breadcrumbs in the meatballs, which are baked rather than fried.
| Prep Time: | 40 minutes |
| Ready in: | 1 1/4 hours |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
| Ease of Prep: | Moderate |
| Recipe Ingredients | |
| 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) | |
| 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) | |
Recipe Directions
- 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.
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.
Health Advantages: high fiber, low sat fat, high calcium, heart healthy.
| Nutrition Information | ||||||||
| Servings Per Recipe: 6 | ||||||||
| Amount Per serving | ||||||||
| Calories: | 496 cal | Carbohydrate Servings: | 4 1/2 | |||||
| Carbohydrates: | 86 g | Dietary Fiber: | 18 g | Cholesterol: | 28 mg | |||
| Fat: | 8 g | Sodium: | 568 mg | Saturated Fat: | 3 g | |||
| Protein: | 27 g | Potassium: | 405 mg | Monounsaturated Fat: | 3 g | |||
| Nutrition Bonus: | Fiber (72% daily value), Vitamin C (35% dv), Iron (30% dv), Calcium (25% dv), Vitamin A (25% dv). | |||||||
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