Pasta with Meatballs and Sauce

Pasta-with-Meatballs-Sand-Sauce-Relish-Recipe.jpg
Todd Coleman
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  • Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce:
3tablespoons olive oil
1large onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1teaspoon finely minced garlic
2-- (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, in purée
3tablespoons tomato paste
1teaspoon dried oregano
1/2teaspoon dried basil
1pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2teaspoon coarse salt
-- Freshly ground black pepper
Meatballs and Spaghetti:
1-- slice plain bread
1/4cup milk
1 1/4pounds ground meat, preferably a combination of beef, pork and veal
1-- egg, lightly beaten
1/4cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
2tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
1/2teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for cooking the pasta
1/4teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-- Nonstick cooking spray
4cups tomato sauce or 4 cups store-bought tomato sauce
1-- (16-ounce) package dried pasta, anything from spaghetti to ziti to rigatoni

Instructions

  1. To prepare sauce, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes, if using. Add salt and pepper and bring sauce to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 20 minutes. Makes about 7 cups, serves 6.
  2. To prepare meatballs, tear bread into pieces and combine with milk. Let stand 5 minutes, until milk is absorbed.  Shred bread into little pieces.
  3. Place meat in a large bowl. Add soaked bread, egg, Parmesan (if using), parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Using your hands, blend well but try not to squeeze too much. Form into meatballs about 1 1/2 inches in size.
  4. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
  5. Arrange meatballs on baking
  6. sheet so that they are not touching. Bake 15 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, bring tomato sauce to a simmer in a medium-size pot over medium-low heat. Add meatballs to sauce and let them simmer until fully cooked, about 10 minutes.
  8. While meatballs are cooking, cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and serve with sauce and meatballs. Serve extra Parmesan on the side to sprinkle over the meatballs, if you like.  Makes about 20 meatballs.

Per serving: 611 calories, 21g fat, 104mg chol., 32g prot., 72g carbs., 6g fiber, 860mg sodium.

Reprinted with permission from Katie Workman's The Mom100 Cookbook (Workman Publishing, 2012).

Nutritional Info *per serving

  • Calories 611
  • Fat 21g
  • Saturated Fat 7g
  • Cholesterol 104mg
  • Sodium 860mg
  • Carbohydrate 72g
  • Fiber 6g
  • Protein 32g