Family favorites include handmade baked meatballs in a rich tomato sauce served over hot cooked spaghetti with Parmesan cheese.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 20 mins |
| Total Time: | 35 mins |
| Servings: | 6 |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 (6 ounce) can CONTADINA® Tomato Paste, divided
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons dried basil, divided
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ cups fresh bread crumbs*
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped (Optional)
- 1 ¼ pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey, 93% lean (not turkey breast)
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans CONTADINA® Diced Tomatoes, undrained
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Cooked pasta
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil; coat with cooking spray.
- Combine 1/2 can tomato paste, egg, 1 tsp. each basil and oregano, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in bread crumbs, Parmesan and raisins.
- Mix in turkey with hands or a large spoon until mixture is combined well. Shape into 16 meatballs, about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Bake 20 minutes or until browned and cooked through (165 degrees F internal temperature).
- Meanwhile, stir together remaining tomato paste, diced tomatoes, 1 tsp. each oregano and basil, sugar and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Add baked meatballs to sauce and simmer 5 minutes for flavors to blend. Serve meatballs and sauce over pasta with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
- * Three slices firm white bread, crusts removed, yield about 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 696 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 86 g |
| Cholesterol | 108 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Protein | 34 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Sodium | 728 mg |
| Sugars | 14 g |
| Fat | 24 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
So far so amazing! I only omitted the raisins and it turned out great. I made my BALLS larger than recommended (no pun intended lol) and used my own sauce and it turned out great.
I like my sauce thicker and less “chunky” but overall was easy to prepare and my kids liked the meatballs. I left out the raisins – it seemed like an odd addition to me but what do I know? I think we’ll probably make again but add in tomato paste instead of one of the cans of diced tomatoes and go heavier on the spices (again, personal preference – I like a more flavorful sauce. This recipe is more likely to appeal to more people though).