> Recipes

Old-Fashioned Spaghetti and Meatballs

  • Prep Time -
  • Cook Time -
  • Serves 6
EatingWell.com

Recipe Provided By: EatingWell.com

See more from
EatingWell.com on Yahoo! Food


Average (196 Ratings): 3.5 out of 5 stars

Write a Review
All 19 Reviews


1. Ingredients

  1. 1/3 cup bulgur
  2. 1/2 cup hot water
  3. 4 ounces lean ground beef
  4. 4 ounces hot Italian sausage
  5. 1 medium onion, very finely chopped
  6. 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
  7. 3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
  8. 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  9. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  10. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  11. 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, preferably whole wheat
  12. 4 cups prepared marinara sauce
  13. 1/2 cup slivered fresh basil leaves or chopped fresh parsley
  14. 1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti or linguine
  15. 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Nutrition Info

Per Serving

  • Calories: 543 kcal
  • Carbohydrates: 83 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 15 g
  • Fat: 13 g
  • Protein: 26 g
  • Sugars: 4 g

About: Nutrition Info

Powered by: ESHA Nutrient Database

2. Cooking Directions

  1. 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.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a rack with cooking spray and place it over a baking sheet lined with foil.
  3. 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 into 1-inch meatballs (about 24). Place the meatballs on the rack and bake for 25 minutes. Blot well with paper towel.
  4. To prepare sauce & spaghetti: Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil. 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).
  5. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti (or linguine) until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with the sauce and meatballs and serve with grated cheese.

Yield: 6 servings

3. Still Hungry?

To stretch the ground beef, we use high-fiber bulgur and whole-wheat breadcrumbs in the meatballs, which are baked rather than fried.

Notes:

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.

Rate This Recipe

Average (196 Ratings): 3.5 out of 5 stars

Technology in partnership withAllrecipes.com

Share with Others

Most Helpful Reviews

View all 19 Reviews | Write a Review

  • In regards to browning the meatballs

    Kay - July 2, 2007 01:04:30 PM PST
    I used to just throw my meatballs into my sauce also, but then one day I tried browning them in the oven and it made such a difference! It gives the outside a nice golden finish and slow roasts all the flavors together. Just try it once and see for yourself!

    14 of 17 found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes - No Report Abuse

  • I must try this recipe

    rhondaprestidge - July 2, 2007 04:30:48 PM PST
    I just have one question to ask? What is bulgur? I have never heard of this ingredient.

    12 of 20 found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes - No Report Abuse

  • Meatballs are good to eat

    jiana79 - July 19, 2007 04:57:42 AM PST
    I've not heard of bulgur, what are they ? Because i nornally cook spaghetti with only meat sauce so i must really try this recipe. Do you have more recipes for spaghetti? Thank you

    4 of 6 found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes - No Report Abuse

  • another way to cook meatballs

    mechanist - July 16, 2007 11:59:13 AM PST
    instead of cooking in the oven i grill my meatballs on the gas grill on low heat. the flavor is unreal...........

    2 of 3 found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes - No Report Abuse

  • Bulgar is a Wheat Product

    Red Rose - July 19, 2007 10:56:03 AM PST
    It's a bit like coucous or cracked wheat...

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgur

    Frankly, I was surprised this called for something that tends to be harder to find than coucous or rice. :: shrug :: It seemed a bit obscure.

    I've had tofu substituted for part of the beef and it was quite good, actually. It mellowed the flavor, and gave it a more dense consistency. U was surprised because, to be honest, I hate meat in my marinara sauce. But I didn't mind these because of the flavor wasn't as harshly "beefy" as I was used to getting from other meatball recipes.

    /my 2-cents

    2 of 4 found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes - No Report Abuse

Yahoo! Food Videos

Most Watched Food Videos

Summer's Best Real Food Recipes

Summer's Best Real Food Recipes

Check out Bobby Flay’s Real Food Summer School videos, recipes & sweepstakes.

My Food

help

Recipe of the Day

Open
Chicken Papadoris

Chicken Papadoris

from: William Anatooskin

Average (26 Ratings): 3.5 out of 5 stars

A savory coconut-garlic gravy drenches sauteed chicken breasts. Any leftovers can be spooned into…

Recent Activity

Open

Keep track of what you've seen recently

Articles
No recently viewed items
Recipes
No recently viewed items
Searches
No recently viewed items