Heart Smart Turkey Meatballs with Sauce and Whole Wheat Pasta

Ingredients

Sauce

2 (28 oz.) cans of crushed tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 small onion, finely chopped

4-6 cloves of chopped garlic

1 small green pepper, finely chopped (optional)

1 bunch fresh Italian parsley, chopped

2 fresh basil leaves, ripped or shredded

2 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp grated cheese

2 tbsp of canola oil

Meatballs

2 lbs extra lean ground turkey

1 small onion finely chopped

1 tsp of grated cheese

3 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 cup egg substitute

4-6 slices of light whole wheat bread

1 cup skim milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Soak bread in a portion of the milk; keep the rest of the milk in reserve. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Be careful not to over mix. Remove bread from milk and tear apart; place in bowl with other ingredients. Mix gently with your hands until evenly combined. If mixture seems dry add a little of the reserved milk as necessary. Use an ice cream scoop to form the meatballs. Keep the meatballs evenly shaped, roll in hands until round.

Add canola oil to a deep pot. Over medium heat, brown meatballs evenly on all sides. Pull out and set aside.

Keep pot on medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, stirring and picking off the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add garlic, but do not brown it, as it will turn it bitter. Add herbs, spices and tomato paste so flavors can combine. Add crushed tomatoes. Fill cans 1/4 of the way with water; add water to the pot. You can add more water to create desired thickness. Add meatballs back into sauce and let simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour until the meatballs are completely cooked through.

Cook your favorite whole wheat pasta and serve.