Turkey Spinach Spaghetti & Meatballs

Sunday, April 07, 2013

From our skinny table to yours ...

Nothing says Sunday like sitting down to a comforting family dinner! Tonight we're making a skinny recipe redo of the classic spaghetti & meatballs supper. We swap out the calorie packed beef for lean ground turkey, add in sautéed spinach for color & flavor and serve this over one serving of whole wheat thin spaghetti to satisfy all our carb cravings at a fraction of the fat and calories.


Our sauce is a super simple combination of crushed tomatoes with basil, garlic, onion, oregano and a hint of nutty Parmesan cheese.


We start our meatballs by sautéing up a combination of spinach, onions and garlic. The veggie combination not only packs in the flavor and nutrients, it keeps these meatballs so moist & juicy you might even like them better than your typical beefy balls!


We pan sear our meatballs in one tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to create a golden crust them simmer them in our tomato sauce to finish cooking & let all the flavors combine.


Serve these up over one serving of whole wheat thin spaghetti for the perfect Sunday night supper. To cut the calories even more, serve this up over spaghetti squash for just 315 calories total! We ate a light lunch so opted for the pasta tonight ... everything in moderation :)


Hope you enjoy!

Nutrition Facts per Serving
Serves 4
Calories: 508 (315 with spaghetti squash)
Fat: 11 grams
Carbs: 81.7 grams
Protein: 15 grams
Dietary Fiber: 28.4 grams

Ingredients
8oz whole wheat pasta (or 1 small spaghetti squash!)
16oz crushed tomatoes with basil
1 tsp Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp oregano
10oz spinach
4 garlic cloves
1/2 white onion
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound 93% lean ground turkey
2 tbsp skim milk
1/4 cup Italian seasoned panko
Salt & Pepper

Let's get cooking!
1. To make sauce, add crushed tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and Parmesan cheese to small pot and simmer on medium heat for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a deep sauté pan, add olive oil to pan and heat to medium low heat. Add spinach, chopped onion and minced garlic to pan and sauté for 5-6 minutes until translucent.
3. Mix together ground turkey, veggies, skim milk, panko, salt & pepper. Form meatballs and add back to sauté pan - mixture will make 12 balls (we made extra to freeze!).
4. Sauté meatballs for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Add sauce to pan and simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
5. Cook pasta according to package directions and serve up into 4 pasta dishes. Top each bowl with 3 meatballs and 1/4 of the sauce.

Serves 4 healthy portions :)

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13 comments

  1. Ooo those meatballs look DELISH! Perfect for Sunday dinner... thinking I might have to go Italian tonight.. :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Kristina! They were so good! Would love to hear what you think if you try them :)

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  2. This looks amazing! :-) I'm a new follower from Deezy's Pimpin Showcase

    http://christyscraftycorner.blogspot.com/2013/04/spring-has-sprung.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Christy!! :) Can't wait to check out your blog!

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  3. I am your newest follower. Found you thru the hop.....

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks Brenda! Can't wait to check out your blog :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow - these look amazing! I am definitely going to have to try these some time - pinning it for later.

    I am here from the TGIF hop, and am now following you via GFC and Bloglovin' :-)

    Melanie
    My Imperfect...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello, I am stopping by from the UBP13. The food looks amazing!! You can find me at www.acupfullofsass.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Found your blog through the Monday Mingle Blog Hop and I am so happy I did! I am really loving your ladies' blog and those meatballs + spaghetti look delish!!
    Your newest follower,
    Kayla from
    Love Sparkle Pretty

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi,
    We’ve recently launched the website RecipesUS.com. It’s a search engine that aims to gather all the best recipes from US websites and blogs in one place. We’ve noticed that you have a lot of great looking recipes on your blog that we would love to feature on our site. To read more about how it all works and to sign up with your blog, please visit: http://recipesus.com or send us an email on info@recipesus.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

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    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi ladies!

    These are being added to my meal plan this month!! They look amazing.

    I'm new to your blog, but so happy I found it. I am currently training to run a marathon so I'm trying really hard to eat healthier. (I tend to have a bit of a sweet tooth)

    Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yummy! These meatballs look so delicious! I'll have to try them for sure :)

    Shauna
    http://thebestblogrecipes.blogspot.com/
    http://ready2loseweight.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

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