Miso Spaghetti Sauce & Meatballs
This is a healthier version of spaghetti and meatballs that packs more protein with a rich miso-infused spaghetti sauce and meatballs made with lean ground beef and soy. Not even meat-and-potato die-hards are likely to spot the soy in these meatballs. You can leave out the soy crumbles if that scares you, but be sure to try the sauce made with dark red miso as it gives the sauce a deep richness and layer of flavor.
Meatballs:
1 cup frozen soy crumbles, thawed (such as Morningstar Farms)
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg white
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 pound ground round
Sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons red miso
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
7 cups hot cooked spaghetti (about 1 pound uncooked pasta) $
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Flat-leaf parsley sprigs (optional)
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Preheat oven to 375°.
To prepare meatballs, combine first 10 ingredients; shape mixture into 24 (3/4-inch) meatballs. Arrange meatballs 2 inches apart on a jelly roll pan. Bake at 375° for 12 minutes, turning after 6 minutes. Set aside.
To prepare sauce, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 cups onion; sauté 2 minutes. Add 2 garlic cloves; sauté 1 minute. Add tomato paste, oregano, diced tomatoes, and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until slightly thick.
Combine miso and water; stir with a whisk. Add miso mixture and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to sauce. Discard bay leaves. Serve sauce over spaghetti and meatballs. Sprinkle with cheese; garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired