This is one of those recipes that my whole family absolutely loves. 
Let’s face it…meatballs are a crowd pleaser. My youngest daughter even likes cold leftover meatballs in her lunch on occasion. These would also be good on toothpicks as an appetizer at a party or a tailgate, or you could mix them together with some warm noodles and sauce like the picture. You could also double the recipe and freeze the leftover meatballs (when they are either raw or cooked) for a quick meal on a busy day. No matter what you decide to do I promise you will not be disappointed. This recipe has been one of our family’s favorite “go-to” meals for years!
Whole-Wheat Spaghetti and Meatballs
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients
- 1 lb whole-wheat noodles
- Red pasta sauce
- 1 lb ground beef, grass-fed
- 1 egg, beaten
- ⅓ cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup carrot bits (you can grind them in a food processor, grate then dice them, or mince them)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Crushed red pepper, to taste
- Olive oil for greasing the baking sheet
Instructions
- Boil pasta noodles according to package directions.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Mix together ground beef and next 10 ingredients. I find it easiest to use my hands.
- Generously grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
- Roll the beef mixture into meatballs the size of golf balls. Place them in rows onto the greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 9 – 11 minutes or until brown all the way through.
- Serve meatballs on top of cooked noodles and warm pasta sauce. Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
Teresa |
What could I substitute for the soy sauce?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) |
This is my favorite homemade substitution: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/92873/soy-sauce-substitute/.
Ashleigh Esteves |
This is the first recipe I have tried from this site. I made this last night and it was delicious! The meatballs have great flavor, although I thought my store bought pasta sauce masked that great flavor. I can’t find your homemade pasta sauce recipe. Could you post the link to it? Thank you. Also, I added 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Do you think that is too much? And lastly, would you recommend a type of dip to supplement these meatballs as an appetizer? Thank you so much!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) |
Hi there. Here are Lisa’s pasta recipes: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/07/19/recipe-homemade-spaghetti-sauce/ and http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/06/21/recipe-simple-spaghetti/. Not sure about a dip but bruschetta pairs well.
Pam H |
I made these for a New Years Eve party (I wanted to make sure there was something I would eat) – and they were a huge hit! My only modification was to add some finely chopped mushrooms. I’m going to try them next with ground turkey and am sure that they will be delicious!