A Healthy Remake on Spaghetti and Meatballs

Mostly, I think the Food Network Magazine is a lot of flash and not a lot of substance.  But I still have a subscription for it for the two odd recipes per month I find useful (Fleur de Sel caramel for example).  This month, I was not disappointed.  With a whole section devoted to lighter options catering to the New Years Resolution crowd, a crowd with which I sympathize with wholeheartedly, I found a tasty Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe made with ground turkey that surprised me with its tastiness.

The recipe claims to be four servings, which for you WW followers translates to 14 points per servings, but can easily make this a six serving recipe which breaks the points down to 9 per serving and it's plenty of food.  The highlight of this meal really is the meatballs, by adding ricotta to the mix the dryness problems that you often encounter with very lean turkey just don't materialize.  This combined with the fact that they are well seasoned makes them very tasty! Oh, and I highly recommend using the Parmesan rind, it adds a great nutty, salty tang to the sauce.  You can buy parm rinds in bulk (10ish per container) at most Whole Foods or gourmet grocery for a pretty small price.


Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic (4 smashed, 1 minced)
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
2 cups water
1 small piece parmesan rind (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound 93% lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for topping
1 slice stale whole-wheat bread, crust trimmed, bread chopped
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
12 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti

Directions


Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juice, 2 cups water, 1/4 cup basil, the parmesan rind, if using, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes. Discard the parmesan rind, if used.

Chop the remaining 1/4 cup basil, then mix with the turkey, parsley, bread, ricotta, parmesan, egg white, minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl using your hands. Form into 4 large or 12 small meatballs; add to the sauce and simmer, turning, until cooked through, 6 minutes for small meatballs and 12 minutes for large.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water as the label directs. Drain and return to the pot. Toss with some of the sauce, then divide among bowls. Top the spaghetti with the meatballs, the remaining sauce and more parsley and parmesan.