Fashioned Spaghetti and Meatballs

1. 1/3 cup bulgur
2. 1/2 cup hot water
3. 4 ounces lean ground beef
4. 4 ounces hot Italian sausage
5. 1 medium onion, very finely chopped
6. 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
7. 3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
8. 1 teaspoon dried oregano
9. 1/2 teaspoon salt
10. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
11. 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, preferably whole wheat
12. 4 cups prepared marinara sauce
13. 1/2 cup slivered fresh basil leaves or chopped fresh parsley
14. 1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti or linguine
15. 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1. To prepare meatballs: Combine bulgur and water in a small bowl. Let stand until the bulgur is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a rack with cooking spray and place it over a baking sheet lined with foil.
3. Combine ground beef, sausage, onion, egg whites, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs and the soaked bulgur in a large bowl; mix well. Form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs (about 24). Place the meatballs on the rack and bake for 25 minutes. Blot well with paper towel.
4. To prepare sauce & spaghetti: Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil. Bring sauce to a simmer in a Dutch oven. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in basil (or parsley).
5. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti (or linguine) until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with the sauce and meatballs and serve with grated cheese.

Yield: 6 servings

To stretch the ground beef, we use high-fiber bulgur and whole-wheat breadcrumbs in the meatballs, which are baked rather than fried.

Notes:

Tip

To make fresh breadcrumbs: Trim crusts from firm sandwich bread. Tear the bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice makes about 1/3 cup.