Name: Healthier Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Lean ground beef - 1 pound; Whole wheat bread crumbs - 1 cup; Chopped fresh parsley - ¼ cup; Egg, beaten - 1 large; Grated Parmesan cheese - 1 tablespoon; Garlic, minced - 1 clove; Ground black pepper - ¼ teaspoon; Olive oil - ¼ cup; Chopped onion - ¾ cup; Garlic, minced - 5 cloves; Whole peeled tomatoes - 2 (28 ounce) cans; Salt - 2 teaspoons; White sugar - 1 teaspoon; Bay leaf - 1 large; Tomato paste - 1 (6 ounce) can; Ground black pepper - ½ teaspoon; Basil leaves, torn, plus additional for sprinkling on top - 2

Ingredients for - Healthier Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs

1. Lean ground beef 1 pound

2. Whole wheat bread crumbs 1 cup

3. Chopped fresh parsley ¼ cup

4. Egg, beaten 1 large

5. Grated Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon

6. Garlic, minced 1 clove

7. Ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon

8. Olive oil ¼ cup

9. Chopped onion ¾ cup

10. Garlic, minced 5 cloves

11. Whole peeled tomatoes 2 (28 ounce) cans

12. Salt 2 teaspoons

13. White sugar 1 teaspoon

14. Bay leaf 1 large

15. Tomato paste 1 (6 ounce) can

16. Ground black pepper ½ teaspoon

17. Basil leaves, torn, plus additional for sprinkling on top 2

How to cook deliciously - Healthier Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs

1 . Stage

Make the meatballs: Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, beaten egg, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. Form into 12 balls. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

2 . Stage

Make the sauce: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

3 . Stage

Stir in tomato paste, pepper, and basil; stir in meatballs. Simmer on low heat until meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).

4 . Stage

Discard bay leaf before serving.