When you use this recipe you can have your spaghetti and meatballs and stay slender, too. To insure a light texture, handle the meat mixture as little as possible when rolling the meatballs, just as you do when you make meat loaf. This is one sauce strong enough to serve with whole wheat spaghetti. There are times when only pasta from white flour will do, but this is not one of them. And be sure to sprinkle lots of minced, fresh flat-leaf parsley over the platter before you bring it to the table. To save the maximum number of calories use Lean Ground Turkey and eliminate the sausage altogether.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. lean ground turkey
- 1/4 lb. sweet Italian-style turkey sausage, removed from casing
- 1 cup fresh, soft bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth, fat discarded
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp. fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 28-oz. can plus 1 16-oz. can Italian plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 2-in. strip orange zest
- 1 tsp. minced fresh marjoram or oregano leaves
- 2 tsp. drained capers
- 1 package(1 pound) spaghetti
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Combine turkey, sausage, bread crumbs, egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Mix gently and roll into 1-inch balls.
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs in batches. Return the browned meatballs to the skillet and cook, covered, 3 to 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove meatballs to a plate and keep warm.
Add chicken broth to pan, bring to a boil, and scrape pan to loosen any brown bits. Add onion, garlic and fennel seeds and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, orange zest, marjoram, capers and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water. Drain in a colander and transfer to a platter. Top with meatballs and sauce and toss to combine. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Makes 8 servings.
Food , Recipes
