Pasta with Turkey Meatballs and Homemade Marinara Sauce
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Living with an Italian husband has truly taught me how to cook the classic pasta sauce. This sauce is a staple in our home and we LOVE our pasta! The key to making a fabulous sauce is allowing it to sit and simmer for at least 30 minutes. The meatballs can be made with turkey or beef. It’s fun rolling up the meatballs and very easy to do. This is a complete meal. You’ve got veggies from the sauce, carbs from the pasta, and protein from the meatball all in 1 delicious bowl!
Author:
Recipe type: Dinner, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • Sauce Ingredients:
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 Garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
  • 1 12-ounce can Tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Oregano
  • ½ tsp Thyme
  • ½ tsp Crushed red pepper
  • 2 Bay leaves (whole)
  • Nonstick Cooking Spray
  • Meatballs Ingredients:
  • 1 lb Jenny-O Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast
  • 1 egg
  • 1 slice whole wheat bread
  • 1 Tbsp Herbs de Provence (or any herb mix such as basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme)
  • 2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 2 Tbsp Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • Pasta Ingredients:
  • 4 oz. Whole-wheat, high-fiber spaghetti pasta
  • 3 cups water
Instructions
  1. Sauce Directions:
  2. Spray a medium pot or dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray or Misto and add garlic and onion over medium heat.
  3. Cook until onions are translucent and the garlic is slightly browned (5 minutes).
  4. Next, add the rest of the ingredients to the pot. Cover and bring to a slow simmer. Cook for half an hour to build flavor. Remove bay leaves before serving.
  5. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: ½ cup) Save some for lunch the next day and put on mini-pizzas or leftover spaghetti. CALORIES 80 calories; FAT 0.5g (sat 0.1g); PROTEIN 3.7g; CARBOHYDRATE 18.7g; FIBER 4.0g; SUGAR 10.1g; SODIUM 467.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg
  6. Meatball Directions: Heat oven to 400. While cooking the sauce, toast the bread.
  7. Add bread, Herbs de Provence, and salt to food processor.
  8. Pulse to make breadcrumbs.
  9. Add all the meatball ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
  10. Roll meat mixture into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil (for easy cleanup).
  11. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes. Slice a meatball in half to check if they are cooked all the way through. Meatballs are done if they are no longer pink in the middle. Cook Meatballs
  12. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes. Slice a meatball in half to check if they are cooked all the way through. Meatballs are done if they are no longer pink in the middle. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 4 1-oz meatballs) CALORIES 180.7 calories; FAT 3.6g (sat 0.9g); PROTEIN 29.5g; CARBOHYDRATE 6.1g; FIBER 0.7g; SUGAR 0.6g; SODIUM 165.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 110.1mg
  13. Pasta Directions: While the meatballs are cooking in the oven, boil water in a large pot. Add pasta and cook per directions on package. Drain. Add 2 oz cooked pasta to each bowl + ½ cup sauce + 4 meatballs. Serve with parmesan cheese if desire.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 2 oz cooked pasta, ½ cup pasta sauce, 4 meatballs Calories: 360 Fat: 4.5 Saturated fat: 1.1 Carbohydrates: 46.1 Sugar: 11.7 Sodium: 635.7 Fiber: 4.7 Protein: 37.3 Cholesterol: 110.1
Recipe by Sarah Koszyk at https://sarahkoszyk.com/pasta-with-turkey-meatballs-and-homemade-marinara-sauce/