Reduced-Fat Meatballs and Marinara
By Cristin WalshPublished on October 6, 2013
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
MEATBALLS
12 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, trimmed1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces2 ½ tablespoons chicken broth 1 teaspoon olive oil ½ onion, chopped fine2 garlic cloves, minced¼ teaspoon dried oregano 12 ounces 90 percent lean ground beef ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 1 large egg white 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce ¾ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepperMARINARA
1 teaspoon olive oil 1 onion, chopped fine1 teaspoon salt ⅓ cup tomato paste 4 garlic cloves, minced½ teaspoon dried oregano ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes ¾ cup chicken broth ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese ¼ cup chopped fresh basilBefore You Begin
This recipe makes enough to sauce 1 pound of pasta. It's unnecessary to temp the meatballs because they will reach a food-safe temperature if cooked according to the recipe instructions. (For more information on food safety, check out this guide.)
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil spray. Microwave mushrooms in covered bowl until liquid is released, about 5 minutes. Strain mushrooms through colander, transfer to food processor, and process until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Return mushrooms to now-empty bowl; set aside. Add bread and broth to now-empty processor and process until paste forms, about 30 seconds. Transfer bread mixture to large bowl; set aside.
- Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned bits form on bottom of pot, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add to bowl with bread mixture. Add beef, parsley, egg white, soy sauce, salt, and pepper and knead with your hands until combined. Using ¼-cup dry measuring cup, divide mixture into 12 portions, shape into meatballs, and place on prepared sheet. Bake until well browned, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and salt and cook until beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until rust-colored and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer until sauce is no longer watery, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Add meatballs to sauce and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Stir Parmesan and basil into sauce. Serve. (Meatballs and sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
for the meatballs
for the marinara
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
MEATBALLS
12 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, trimmed
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
2 ½ tablespoons chicken broth
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
12 ounces 90 percent lean ground beef
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg white
1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
MARINARA
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon salt
⅓ cup tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
¾ cup chicken broth
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Ingredients
MEATBALLS
12 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, trimmed
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
2 ½ tablespoons chicken broth
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
12 ounces 90 percent lean ground beef
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg white
1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
MARINARA
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon salt
⅓ cup tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
¾ cup chicken broth
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Ingredients
MEATBALLS
12 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, trimmed
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
2 ½ tablespoons chicken broth
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
12 ounces 90 percent lean ground beef
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg white
1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
MARINARA
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon salt
⅓ cup tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
¾ cup chicken broth
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Why This Recipe Works
To slash the fat in one of our favorite weeknight suppers, we started with our favorite meatball recipe and made a few adjustments. We opt for 90 percent lean ground beef and replace the egg in the original recipe with just a white. A panade keeps the meatballs moist, but instead of milk, we moisten the bread with low-fat (and flavorful) chicken broth. Our biggest coup was to replace half the beef with meaty mushrooms that we’d microwaved to drive off excess moisture, ground in the food processor, and sautéed with chopped onions. After baking in a hot oven to brown, the meatballs finish cooking in our simple homemade marinara.
Before You Begin
This recipe makes enough to sauce 1 pound of pasta. It's unnecessary to temp the meatballs because they will reach a food-safe temperature if cooked according to the recipe instructions. (For more information on food safety, check out this guide.)
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil spray. Microwave mushrooms in covered bowl until liquid is released, about 5 minutes. Strain mushrooms through colander, transfer to food processor, and process until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Return mushrooms to now-empty bowl; set aside. Add bread and broth to now-empty processor and process until paste forms, about 30 seconds. Transfer bread mixture to large bowl; set aside.
- Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned bits form on bottom of pot, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add to bowl with bread mixture. Add beef, parsley, egg white, soy sauce, salt, and pepper and knead with your hands until combined. Using ¼-cup dry measuring cup, divide mixture into 12 portions, shape into meatballs, and place on prepared sheet. Bake until well browned, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and salt and cook until beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until rust-colored and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer until sauce is no longer watery, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Add meatballs to sauce and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Stir Parmesan and basil into sauce. Serve. (Meatballs and sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
for the meatballs
for the marinara
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