Turkey Meatballs and Sauce

By VerneJ

Originally published in Healthy Cooking (August/September 2011)

Nutritional Facts: 4 meatballs with 3/4 cup sauce and 1 cup spaghetti equals 416 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 67 mg cholesterol, 533 mg sodium, 61 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 28 g protein.

Ingredients

• SAUCE:
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend
• 1-1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 package (16 ounces) whole wheat spaghetti

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 400mins
Adapted from tasteofhome.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a large bowl, combine the egg substitute, bread crumbs, onion, pepper and seasoning blend. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls; place on a rack coated with cooking spray in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until no longer pink.

2. Meanwhile, in a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the tomato sauce, tomatoes, zucchini, green pepper, onion, tomato paste, bay leaves, garlic and seasonings. Stir in meatballs. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Cook spaghetti according to package directions; serve with meatballs and sauce.