Spaghetti and Meatballs

Serves 6

• 1 pound lean ground beef (7% fat or less)
• ⅓ cup seasoned dried bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano cheese
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large egg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, broken up
• ½ pound whole wheat spaghetti

1 To make meatballs, mix together beef, bread crumbs, Romano, half of garlic, the egg, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper in large bowl until well combined. With damp hands, shape mixture into 30 (1-inch) meatballs.

2 Coat large nonstick skillet with 1 teaspoon oil and set over medium heat. Cook meatballs, in two batches, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to plate.

3 To make tomato sauce, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, remaining garlic, and the oregano; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Add meatballs and return to simmer; cook partially covered, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are cooked through and sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes.

4 Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions, omitting salt if desired; drain well.

5 Divide pasta evenly among 6 shallow bowls and top evenly with meatballs and sauce.

Per serving (½ cup spaghetti, 5 meatballs, and ½ cup sauce): 343 Cal, 9 g Total Fat, 3 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 85 mg Chol, 713 mg Sod, 44 g Total Carb, 8 g Sugar, 7 g Fib, 25 g Prot, 136 mg Calc. PointsPlus value: 9

Cook’s Note

Begin your meal with a classic tricolored salad of sliced radicchio, baby arugula, and sliced Belgian endive dressed with lemon juice and a bit of fresh black pepper.