Whole-Wheat Spaghetti and Meatballs

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

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

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Ingredients

• 1 lb whole-wheat spaghetti
• pasta sauce
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/3 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
• ½ cup carrot in bits (you can grind the carrot 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 Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• crushed red pepper to taste
• olive oil for greasing the baking sheet

Instructions

1. Boil pasta noodles according to package directions.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Mix together ground beef and next 10 ingredients (find a recipe for breadcrumbs here - Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs). I find it easiest to use my hands.
4. Generously grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
5. Roll the beef mixture into meatballs the size of golf balls. Place them in rows onto the greased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 9 – 11 minutes or until brown all the way through.
7. Serve meatballs on top of cooked noodles and warm pasta sauce. Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.