Mama's Baked Ziti with Meatballs

By jrichmond4

Serving 1 cup ziti and 5 meatballs
Calories 302
Fat 6g
Sodium 525mg
Carbs 42g
Fiber 3g
Protein 19g

Ingredients

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes, drained, with their juice reserved
• 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 1/4 lb lean ground pork
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs
• 2 egg whiles
• 1 tbs chopped fresh basil, or 1 tsp dried
• 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp dried
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, or 1/4 tsp dried
• 1/4 tsp salt
• ground pepper to taste
• 4 cups ziti
• 1/4 cup chredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the drained tomatoes, Reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbly, about 5 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the parsley, the bread crumbs, egg whites, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Form into 40 walnut-size meatballs and drop gently into the bubbling sauce. Simmer, without stirring, until the meatballs are firm, about 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of parsley and cook, stirring occasionally and adding the reserved tomato juice 1/4 cup at a time, until the meatballs are tender and the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 400. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray.

4. meanwhile, cook the ziti according to package directions, omitting the salt if desired. Drain and toss the mixture to the baking dish; sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake until heated through, 15-20 minutes. Uncover; bake until bubbly and golden, 5-10 minutes.