Spaghetti & Meatballs- Healthy!?

One of my favorite meals to prepare is homemade spaghetti and meatballs, but I always wondered how I could make it a little bit healthier. First, I start off with a homemade marinara sauce. On occasion, I will pick up store bought sauces as there are really top-quality brands available (Newman’s own is a favorite). But, if you choose to cook your own sauce, it not only creates a fresh flavor, but can be a time-saver in the future. With the following sauce, you can keep what you like and then freeze smaller batches of the sauce for later use. That way if you are in a time crunch, it’s very easy to whip up a quick dinner.

Also, tomato sauce is one of the best ways to reap the health benefits of tomatoes, which contain “lycopene“- a proven cancer and heart disease fighter. Today, a New York Times article noted that the lycopene in tomatoes is best absorbed by the body when tomatoes are cooked (and with a little fat). In fact, more than 5 times the amount of lycopene is found in tomato sauce than in the equivalent amount of fresh tomatoes. Yet another reason to enjoy spaghetti!

Click here to read the NY Times Article

Jessica’s Marinara Sauce

2 tablespoons of olive oil (classico bertolli suggested)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 bay leaf
One 28 oz can of tomato puree
One 15 oz can of tomato sauce (muir glen organics recommended)
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
Dash of salt
1 teaspoon sugar
One large handful of fresh basil leaves, cut coarsely

Heat two tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add minced garlic for 40 seconds, be careful not to brown. Then add the tomato puree, tomato sauce, and tomato paste, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, dash of salt, sugar, and parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil. Once sauce is boiling, bring to simmer and cook for 30 minutes on low. Remove bay leaf and add the basil leaves to stir through sauce right before serving. Then, enjoy with your favorite pasta.

Meatballs

For the meatballs, I used Ellie Krieger’s turkey meatball recipe as a base. If you haven’t watched her yet on Food Network, pick up her fantastic cookbook at the store. Ellie creates healthy dishes without sacrificing taste. In the following recipe, I used 90% lean angus beef instead of the ground turkey called for. Also, I used about 1/4 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs (which I had on hand) instead of the pulsed bread slice. Look below for the delicious result, who knew that grated carrots could be used in meatballs! Believe me, no one will know unless you tell them, so it’s a great way to sneak vegetables in. One final note: I used Barilla Smart Plus for the spaghetti- yummy taste with Omega 3′s and whole grains.

Ellie’s Turkey Meatball Recipe (foodnetwork.com)