Spaghetti & Meatballs
Our cleaned-up redo of this timeless classic conjures up memories of your favorite Italian restaurant meal, but with less fat!
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You Save: 271 calories, 15 grams Total Fat, 7 g Saturated Fat, 1,164 mg Sodium.
Ingredients
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 2 slices soft whole-wheat bread, crusts removed (about 1 1/4 oz after trimming)
- 3 tbsp 2% milk
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 white onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 6 oz lean ground turkey
- 6 oz lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, divided
- 1/8 tsp sea salt, plus additional to taste
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 26-oz box unsalted chopped tomatoes (TRY: Pomi Chopped Tomatoes)
- 1 tbsp low-sodium tomato paste
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
- 7 oz whole-wheat spaghetti
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray. Tear bread into 1/3-inch cubes and add to a large bowl. Add milk and stir until bread is moist. Set aside.
- In a large skillet on medium-high, heat oil. Add onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Add 1/3 of onion mixture to bowl with bread. Reserve remaining onion mixture in skillet and set aside.
- To bowl with bread, add turkey, beef, egg, Parmesan, 2 tbsp parsley, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/8 tsp salt and black pepper. Stir gently until combined. Gently roll meat mixture into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet 1-inch apart, making about 20 meatballs. Bake, turning halfway through, until outsides are lightly browned and centers are no longer pink, 17 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, return skillet with remaining onion mixture to stove top. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, pepper flakes and remaining 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning and turn heat to medium-high. Before sauce boils, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Stir in honey and additional salt. Reduce heat to low and add basil and meatballs. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 more minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and return to pot, off the heat. Add sauce and meatball mixture to pot; stir to combine. Divide among serving bowls and sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp parsley.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1/4 of recipe
- Calories 429
- Carbohydrate Content 52 g
- Cholesterol Content 101 mg
- Fat Content 9 g
- Fiber Content 13 g
- Protein Content 34 g
- Saturated Fat Content 2 g
- Sodium Content 306 mg
- Sugar Content 16 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 0 g