Anticiplate

I love comfort food, however, it is not necessarily the best for you all the time.  This is why I like this recipe.  It uses whole wheat pasta and ground turkey instead of ground beef.  The sauce is definitely a little spicy, so if you want to avoid the heat, you can leave out the chipotle in adobo.

 

 

Serves 2

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

 

 

For the sauce:

1/2 tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tbsp. tomato paste (get the kind you can squeeze from the tube and then keep it in the fridge)

1 14.5 oz. can diced, fire roasted tomatoes

1/2 tsp. finely minced chipotle in adobo (found on the international foods isle)

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

1 small sprig fresh rosemary

salt

2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, torn

 

For the Meatballs:

Cooking spray

1/2 lb. ground turkey (get the ground turkey thigh, it is more moist that the breast)

1/2 slice fresh whole wheat bread, crusts removed, and pulsed into crumbs

1/4 c. finely grated carrot

1/4 c. finely chopped onion

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp. fresh flat leaf parsley, minced

1 tsp. fresh thyme, minced

1/2 egg, beaten (beat the entire egg, then pour half into the mixture)

1/4 tsp. salt

freshly ground black pepper

 

Whole wheat spaghetti (do about 1/4 of a 1 lb. box–and that was more than enough for two)

 

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil for pasta. 

Make sauce:

In a big sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Saute onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add in garlic and saute another minute.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotles, thyme, rosemary sprig, and salt. Bring to a low boil and then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  While sauce is cooking, make meatballs. 

 

Meatballs:

Preheat the broiler. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Combine turkey with all the other ingredients in a large bowl.  Do not over mix! Form into meatballs about the size of a golf ball.  Place on the baking sheet and broil for 10 minutes, or until browned.  

 

Meanwhile, remove rosemary sprig from the sauce and add fresh basil.  After meatballs have cooked, add them to the sauce and cover while pasta cooks.  Cook the pasta to package instructions.  

Drain pasta and return it to the pot.  Add sauce and meatballs and toss.  Serve with fresh parmesan cheese.