I have a couple confessions. First, I generally do not like red sauce. Often as it cooks over a long period of time it thickens too much and the flavor ends up tasting burnt and old to me. For that reason I usually opt for tomato sauces that cut the acid with cream. Second, pasta is generally a forbidden food for me because I enjoy eating a large portion and can't limit myself to the suggested serving size of 2 oz. This sauce is different! I could sip it from the spoon. It's not overcooked, pasty and acidic. It gently coats the pasta and has a balance of sweet and umami flavor that makes one's tastebuds sing with gladness.
Now for the "lightened up" pasta part. To keep things slim, I've cooked 1/2 serving of spaghetti with 1 pouch of Natural Heaven's angel hair spaghetti. See that huge plate of pasta at the top? You get all that for 391 cals/18g fat/5g saturated fat/24g carbs/30g protein/7g fiber/7g sugar! That includes 3 meatballs.
To make the meatballs lighter I used lean ground turkey but you can also go with all beef or the classic and always fabulous beef, pork and veal combo. Keep in mind that different meat and fat levels will alter your final macro/calorie count. Whatever you choose, you'll love it.
I've included some recipe notes below.
NOTES:
-- Saute 1/2 the amount of basil in oil before adding the tomato sauce to sweeten the sauce
-- Add remaining basil when the sauce is finished cooking and off the heat to retain fresh flavor
-- Sweat the onion and garlic for 7-8 minutes to impart more flavor into the sauce
-- Use madeira wine instead of red wine if you have it. It sweetens the sauce and leaves you guessing as to what the "secret" flavor bomb is
-- Use 1/2 parm and 1/2 pecorino cheese in the meatballs for tang and different flavor combos
-- Add a little fresh basil into the meatballs in addition to the parsley if you have it
-- For softer meatballs, take a slice of bread, wet with water and crumble into the meat mixture
-- Avoid compacting the meat mixture. Combine with a fork until blended and lightly pat into shape
RECIPE:
Makes 3 Servings [calories calculated using 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs]
Per Serving: 214 calories/12g fat/3.5g saturated fat/8.9 g carbs/18.3g protein/2.6g sugar/1.5g fiber
Meatballs
7-8 ounces 93% ground turkey breast
1-2 tablespoons Italian breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon Pecorino Romano grated cheese
1 tablespoon Parmigiano Reggiano grated cheese
2 tablespoons finely minced parsley
1/2 egg, beaten [save other half in fridge for egg wash or you may end up using it]
1 garlic clove, turned into a paste
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Mix all ingredients lightly together with a fork but start with only 1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs. If the meat is still too sticky and wet add the other tablespoon or breadcrumbs. If the meat mixture is too firm, add a little water to loosen or dribble in more egg until the mixture is a little sticky to the touch. Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, shape into 10 meatballs. Set aside.
Sauce
Note - this makes very little sauce. Double if you want to serve with pasta. I make a pot of meatballs to morph into other things like meatball sub sandwiches, etc.
-- If you want to cook the sauce longer you can. Take meatballs out and continue cooking sauce. Return meatballs to pot and warm prior to serving.
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 small onion sliced [cut in half lengthwise and then slice into strips]
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 cup of basil, divided
1 1/2 cups crush tomatoes
Kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated Swerve
2 tablespoons marsala or red wine
1 1/2 cups Tuttoroso crush tomatoes with basil
In a dutch oven preheat pan on medium-low for 3-5 minutes. Add the oil. It shouldn't be so hot it shimmers. Add onion and garlic and season with salt. Sweat for 7-8 minutes adjusting the heat to low if the onions sizzle too much. You want the onion and garlic translucent and not browned. Remove garlic and onions with a slotted spoon leaving oil in the pot. Add 2 tablespoons of torn basil and increase the heat to medium. Saute for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, swerve and red wine. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add meatballs and simmer until cooked through. I use a meat probe set to 155 degrees. Avoid over cooking the sauce. Cook for 30 minutes or less.
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