Healthier Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs

This spaghetti and meatballs dish gets a healthier makeover, thanks to carrots and fresh garlic in the sauce and whole wheat bread crumbs and fresh parsley in the meatballs. Serve over any whole grain pasta.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 40 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 374 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¾ cup chopped onion
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 2 basil leaves, torn, plus additional for sprinkling on top

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Make the meatballs: Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, beaten egg, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. Form into 12 balls. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Step 2

Make the sauce: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

Step 3

Stir in tomato paste, pepper, basil, then stir in meatballs. Simmer on low heat until meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).

Step 4

Discard bay leaf before serving.