Gastronomia

Old-Fashioned Spaghetti & Meatballs |
Source: © EatingWell Magazine |
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Active Time:  40 Minutes |
Total Time:  1 Hour 15 Minutes | 6 servings |
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To stretch theground beef, we use high-fiber bulgur and whole-wheat breadcrumbs in the meatballs, which are baked rather than fried.

INGREDIENTS For Meatballs: |
1/3 cup bulgur |
1/2 cup hot water |
4 ounceslean 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) |
For Sauce & Spaghetti: |
4 cups prepared marinara sauce |
1/2 cupslivered 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) |

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. |
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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 abaking 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 into1-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 toboil. 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...