Meatballs, Greens, and Orecchiette

32g CARB

Serves 6

Hands On 45 min.

Total 1 hr.

• 1 recipe Veggie-Full Meatballs
• 1¾ cups dried orecchiette pasta
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 8-oz. pkg. button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup sliced zucchini
• ¾ cup chopped red sweet pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups chopped Swiss chard, beet greens, arugula, and/or spinach
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil and/or Italian parsley
• ⅛ tsp. salt
• ⅛ tsp. black pepper
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Prepare Veggie-Full Meatballs. Meanwhile, cook orecchiette according to package directions; drain, reserving some of the pasta water.

2. In a 12-inch skillet or wok heat 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil over medium-high. Add mushrooms, zucchini, and sweet pepper; cook and stir about 6 minutes or until vegetables are tender and any liquid has evaporated. Stir in garlic.

3. Add 1 Tbsp. of the oil to the skillet. Add Swiss chard, in batches, cooking and stirring until chard is wilted. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil, the balsamic vinegar, and orecchiette. Toss to combine. Add enough pasta water to reach desired consistency. Stir in basil, salt, and black pepper. Stir in meatballs. If desired, top with Parmesan.

Veggie-Full Meatballs Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a 15×10-inch baking sheet with foil; coat with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl stir together 1 lightly beaten egg, ¼  cup unsweetened applesauce, ½ cup shredded zucchini, ¼ cup finely chopped onion, and ½ tsp. each salt and dried Italian seasoning, crushed. Stir in ½ cup soft whole wheat bread crumbs. Add 1 lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey; mix well. Shape meat mixture into 48 meatballs. Place in pan; bake about 15 minutes or until cooked through (160°F for beef or 165°F for turkey), turning once.

Tip Using applesauce and shredded zucchini in the meatballs keeps them moist even though they are made with lean ground beef.

PER SERVING (8 meatballs + 1 cup pasta mixture each) cal 344, fat 14 g (3 g sat. fat), chol 79 mg, sodium 476 mg, carb 32 g (3 g fiber, 6 g sugars), pro 23 g

Meatballs, Greens, and Orecchiette