Best 8 Healthier Italian Spaghetti Sauce With Meatballs Recipes

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Preparing a healthy and delectable Italian spaghetti sauce with meatballs is an art, blending the flavors of fresh ingredients to create a harmonious symphony. Whether you're a seasoned chef or a novice cook, this article will guide you through the steps of crafting a healthier version of this classic dish, ensuring a satisfying and guilt-free meal that celebrates the essence of Italian cuisine.

Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!

ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE WITH MEATBALLS



Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs image

This is a recipe I got from my mother years ago -- it's great.

Provided by Jeremy

Categories     Side Dish     Sauces and Condiments Recipes     Sauce Recipes     Pasta Sauce Recipes     Tomato

Time 2h20m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil
2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 bay leaf
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
¾ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store, covered, in refrigerator until needed.
  • In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and meatballs and simmer 30 minutes more. Serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 346.6 calories, Carbohydrate 23 g, Cholesterol 77.4 mg, Fat 21.2 g, Fiber 4.5 g, Protein 18.9 g, SaturatedFat 5.9 g, Sodium 1492.5 mg, Sugar 11.1 g

HEALTHIER ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE WITH MEATBALLS



Healthier Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs image

We added carrot and fresh garlic to this spaghetti sauce, and even made the meatballs healthier by using whole wheat breadcrumbs and fresh parsley. We suggest serving over the whole grain pasta of your choice.

Provided by MakeItHealthy

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Italian

Time 2h20m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil
2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 bay leaf
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 basil leaves, torn, plus additional for sprinkling on top

Steps:

  • Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 clove garlic, and beaten egg in a large bowl. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store covered in refrigerator until needed.
  • Cook and stir onion, 5 cloves garlic, and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until onions are translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar, and bay leaf. Cover with lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 60 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, basil, and meatballs. Simmer on low heat until meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 373.9 calories, Carbohydrate 29.1 g, Cholesterol 81.3 mg, Fat 20.7 g, Fiber 5.7 g, Protein 21.5 g, SaturatedFat 5.5 g, Sodium 1552.1 mg, Sugar 11.3 g

SPAGHETTI WITH ITALIAN MEATBALLS



Spaghetti with Italian Meatballs image

Sharon Crider sends this hearty spaghetti dinner from Junction City, Kansas. "It's one of my family's favorite recipes," she writes. "We enjoy servings of the sauce with a variety of pasta."

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 1h35m

Yield 10 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 21

3/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (28 ounces) Italian crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
MEATBALLS:
4 slices white bread, torn
1/2 cup water
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 package (16 ounces) spaghetti

Steps:

  • In a large saucepan, cook onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a small bowl, soak bread in water for 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, garlic, basil, parsley, salt and bread. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls. , In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. In batches, brown meatballs, adding more oil as needed. Remove to paper towels to drain. Add meatballs to sauce; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until meatballs are no longer pink. , Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Serve with meatballs and sauce.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 385 calories, Fat 11g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 69mg cholesterol, Sodium 612mg sodium, Carbohydrate 49g carbohydrate (7g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 21g protein.

HEALTHIER ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE WITH MEATBALLS



Healthier Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs image

We added carrot and fresh garlic to this spaghetti sauce, and even made the meatballs healthier by using whole wheat breadcrumbs and fresh parsley. We suggest serving over the whole grain pasta of your choice.

Provided by MakeItHealthy

Categories     Italian Recipes

Time 2h20m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil
2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 bay leaf
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 basil leaves, torn, plus additional for sprinkling on top

Steps:

  • Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 clove garlic, and beaten egg in a large bowl. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store covered in refrigerator until needed.
  • Cook and stir onion, 5 cloves garlic, and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until onions are translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar, and bay leaf. Cover with lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 60 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, basil, and meatballs. Simmer on low heat until meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 373.9 calories, Carbohydrate 29.1 g, Cholesterol 81.3 mg, Fat 20.7 g, Fiber 5.7 g, Protein 21.5 g, SaturatedFat 5.5 g, Sodium 1552.1 mg, Sugar 11.3 g

HEALTHIER ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE WITH MEATBALLS



Healthier Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs image

We added carrot and fresh garlic to this spaghetti sauce, and even made the meatballs healthier by using whole wheat breadcrumbs and fresh parsley. We suggest serving over the whole grain pasta of your choice.

Provided by MakeItHealthy

Categories     Spaghetti

Time 2h20m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil
2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 bay leaf
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 basil leaves, torn, plus additional for sprinkling on top

Steps:

  • Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 clove garlic, and beaten egg in a large bowl. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store covered in refrigerator until needed.
  • Cook and stir onion, 5 cloves garlic, and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until onions are translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar, and bay leaf. Cover with lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 60 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, basil, and meatballs. Simmer on low heat until meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 373.9 calories, Carbohydrate 29.1 g, Cholesterol 81.3 mg, Fat 20.7 g, Fiber 5.7 g, Protein 21.5 g, SaturatedFat 5.5 g, Sodium 1552.1 mg, Sugar 11.3 g

ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE WITH MEATBALLS



Italian Spaghetti Sauce With Meatballs image

Make and share this Italian Spaghetti Sauce With Meatballs recipe from Food.com.

Provided by CHEF GRPA

Categories     Meatballs

Time 2h20m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup fresh breadcrumb
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 (28 ounce) cans whole canned tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 bay leaf
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store, covered, in refrigerator until needed.
  • In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and meatballs and simmer 30 minutes more. Serve.
  • My update Note: I was leary of making this without first pre-cooking the meatballs, but this is by far the best spaghetti and meatballs I have ever made. The meatballs ended up a nice brown color, they were not over cooked and I think putting them in before browning allowed some of the meat flavor to seep into the sauce.
  • #2 Instead of using all ground beef, I opted to use a combination of ground pork and ground beef (12 oz ground beef, 4 oz ground pork) -instead of plain bread crumbs, I used pre-seasoned breadcrumbs, I increased the parmesan cheese to 4 oz. With the sauce, instead of using 2 (28 oz) cans of whole tomatoes, I used 1 (28 oz can) of whole tomatoes, and then two smaller cans (14 oz) of crushed tomatoes. After simmering the sauce, I ran half of it through the blender to make it smoother. I also added a small can of tomato sauce in addition to the tomato paste, plus for added flavour I added 1 tsp italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp basil, and 1 tsp garlic powder.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 384.4, Fat 19.1, SaturatedFat 5, Cholesterol 80.9, Sodium 1591.2, Carbohydrate 32.9, Fiber 5.2, Sugar 12.6, Protein 22.7

ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE WITH MEATBALLS



Italian Meat Sauce with Meatballs image

This chunky, meaty sauce has a bit of heat from the sausage and red pepper. It's delicious served over pasta.-Jane McMillan, Dania Beach

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 4h40m

Yield 8 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
12 frozen fully cooked Italian meatballs (1/2 ounce each), thawed and halved
2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan and Romano cheese blend
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Hot cooked pasta

Steps:

  • In a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion and pepper over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 4-qt. slow cooker. Add the meatballs, tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, Parmesan cheese blend, garlic and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until hot and bubbly., Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cook 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve with pasta.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 326 calories, Fat 21g fat (9g saturated fat), Cholesterol 55mg cholesterol, Sodium 1287mg sodium, Carbohydrate 16g carbohydrate (7g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 21g protein.

ITALIAN SPAGHETTI WITH MEATBALLS



Italian Spaghetti with Meatballs image

My mother got this recipe from our Italian neighbors in the 1950s. It's been a big hit at our church community dinners, where we sometimes make three or four batches of this wonderful sauce.-Monica Crouch, Trotwood, Ohio

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 3h45m

Yield 20-24 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 26

4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cans (28 ounces each) tomato puree
2 cans (28 ounces each) tomato sauce
2 cans (12 ounces each) tomato paste
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
MEATBALLS:
3 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cups soft bread crumbs
2 cups grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3 pounds lean ground beef

Steps:

  • In two or three stockpots or Dutch ovens, saute garlic and parsley in oil 1 minute. Add tomato puree, sauce, paste, sugar and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2-1/2 hours., Preheat oven to 375°. For meatballs, in a large bowl, combine the eggs, water, onion, bread crumbs, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic and seasonings; mix well. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place meatballs on greased racks in shallow baking pans. Bake, uncovered, 15-18 minutes or until no longer pink., Stir the remaining Parmesan into spaghetti sauce; simmer 30 minutes. Drain meatballs on paper towels; add to sauce. Freeze option: Freeze cooled meatballs and sauce in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a covered saucepan, gently stirring and adding a little broth / water if necessary.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 185 calories, Fat 8g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 66mg cholesterol, Sodium 545mg sodium, Carbohydrate 11g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 16g protein.

Tips:

  • Use fresh, ripe tomatoes for the best flavor. If fresh tomatoes are not available, use canned whole tomatoes that have been crushed by hand.
  • Brown the meatballs well before adding them to the sauce. This will help to develop their flavor and prevent them from becoming dry.
  • Simmer the sauce for at least 30 minutes, or longer if you have time. This will allow the flavors to meld and develop.
  • Add a touch of sugar or honey to the sauce to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
  • Serve the sauce over your favorite pasta, with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

Conclusion:

This healthier Italian spaghetti sauce with meatballs is a delicious and satisfying meal that is perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion. It is also a great way to use up leftover vegetables. With a few simple tips, you can easily make this sauce at home and enjoy the taste of authentic Italian cuisine.

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