Healthier Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs

Name: Healthier Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs
Total time: 125
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef; 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs; 0.25 cup chopped fresh parsley; 1 large egg, beaten; 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese; 1 clove garlic, minced; 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper; 0.25 cup olive oil; 0.75 cup chopped onion; 5 cloves garlic, minced; 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon white sugar; 1 large bay leaf; 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste; 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper; 2 basil leaves, torn, plus additional for sprinkling on top

Recipe by MakeItHealthy from allrecipes.com

Dinner 2 Hr. 5 Mins.

Ingredients

6 servings

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1 pound lean ground beef
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1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
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0.25 cup chopped fresh parsley
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1 large egg, beaten
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1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
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1 clove garlic, minced
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0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper
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0.25 cup olive oil
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0.75 cup chopped onion

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5 cloves garlic, minced
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2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
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2 teaspoons salt
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1 teaspoon white sugar
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1 large bay leaf
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1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
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0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
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2 basil leaves, torn, plus additional for sprinkling on top

Instructions

Make the meatballs: Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, beaten egg, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. Form into 12 balls. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Make the sauce: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
Stir in tomato paste, pepper, and basil; stir in meatballs. Simmer on low heat until meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).
Discard bay leaf before serving.