Basic Marinara with Italian Meatballs


Basic Marinara:
1 cup dry white or a light bodied red wine
2 6-oz. cans tomato paste
1 28-oz. can ready cut roma or regular tomatoes or 2 lb. fresh roma or regular tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 medium red or yellow onion, chopped
2 large cloves fresh garlic, pressed or minced
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh basil (1 tablespoon dry)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (1/2 tablespoon dry)
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
6 to 8 shakes chili powder or cayenne pepper
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
olive oil cooking spray


1. Lightly spray a 4-quart stock pot with olive oil cooking spray and preheat on medium. Sauté garlic 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly golden. Add tomatoes and all remaining ingredients, except fresh basil and olive oil.

2. Simmer sauce for 1 to 4 hours. Add basil and olive oil to sauce a few minutes before end of cooking time. If sauce become too thick add a little water.

Italian Meatballs

  • olive oil cooking spray
  • 1 pound 93% lean ground beef
  • 1 pound 93% to 95% lean Italian turkey sausage, sweet or hot (no more than 2.5 grams fat per 1-oz serving)
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic, pressed or minced
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 cups herb or garlic fat free salad croutons, processed into fine crumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 egg whites
  • 12 oz. uncooked spaghetti (approximately 1 ½ cups cooked pasta per serving) cooked without fat or salt

    Preheat oven to 450 F. Remove sausage from casings, if necessary. Mix ground beef and sausage together with garlic, onions, bread crumbs, salt, garlic powder, oregano, and egg whites until well combined. If mixture seems too dry add an additional egg white to mixture.

    Spray a large nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray or line a regular cooking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray and set aside. Roll mixture into 1½- inch balls, approximately, 1½ ounces per meatball. Place meatballs on baking sheet and bake for twenty minutes, turning over once during baking time to prevent from over cooking on bottom.

    Add meatballs to Basic Marinara or pour 1 cup sauce over 1½ cups pasta and top with 4-5 meatballs.

    Yield approximately 30 meatballs 6 servings or 1 ¼ cup sauce with 4 to 5 meatballs over 1 ½ cups cooked pasta each serving at approximately 600 calories; 12.9 grams total fat 3.8 grams saturated fat; 75 milligrams cholesterol; 77.6 grams carbohydrate; 5.9 grams dietary fiber; 45 grams protein; 1449 milligrams sodium.

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