On The Menu Tonight: Turkey Meatballs with Whole Wheat Pasta and Red Pepper-Tomato Sauce

Hello Readers!

Well, the holidays are finally over and it is time to get back into a groove. I feel for those of you that have to go back to work tomorrow or start your 'normal' routine. On another note, I am sure many of you have made New Year's Resolutions that you want to keep throughout the year. I encourage you to not lose heart and fulfill those resolutions without regret. One of my personal resolutions was to get rid of some technology to spend more time with my husband and become more faithful with this cooking blog since those two are my passion and loves in life. I decided to move away from my personal Facebook page and create a page solely for this blog. For those of you that have not already become a fan, here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/OntheMenuTonight. Make sure to click 'Like' on the left-hand side so that you can follow when a new recipe has been posted. I also plan to pose questions for you, as readers, to give me your feedback, opinions, and favorite recipes or tips. I appreciate all of your support and shared love for cooking!

Now on to the recipe:

I received a 365-day Food Network calendar for Christmas and my word is it amazing. It is a little desk calendar with multiple recipes throughout the year. I decided to make the recipe that was shared for January 1st. This recipe is hearty for a cold, winter day and also, is a very low-calorie and low-fat meal for those of you that have chosen to eat healthier this year. Enjoy this delicious meal!

**Note: If you do not have a food processor or immersion blender, buy a can of regular marinara sauce. Make sure to cut the veggie amount in half if you do this as you will only need some to make the meatballs with. Just alter step 6 to allow your marinara sauce to heat for when you add the meatballs.

Ingredients:

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 medium white onions, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes with juice
1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef
1 (10 oz) bag of frozen spinach, thawed and juice squeezed out
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (more for serving)
2 dashes, Worcestershire sauce
Whole wheat spaghetti

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil for the pasta.
2. In a large skillet, drizzle olive oil and allow for this to get hot. This is where your veggies will be sauteed.
3. Chop celery, onions, and red pepper finely and place in hot skillet. Let saute for about 5 minutes or until tender.
4. Add minced garlic and let cook for another minute.

5. Take half of your veggies that have been sauteed and place in a bowl to set aside (these will be used to make the meatballs)
6. Add can of crushed tomatoes to the skillet with the other half of the sauteed veggies and let cook for about 7 minutes (make sure to put a lid on this sauce as it will spit and sputter). Add salt and pepper for seasoning. You can also add some oregano or other Italian spices if you choose to add extra flavoring.

7. Transfer your heated sauce to food processor or immersion blender and set to your puree setting. Puree until smooth.
8. Add turkey, thawed and drained spinach, oats, W sauce, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and 1/2 of the veggies that you set aside in step 5. Use your hands here and combine the mixture. Form 10-12 large meatballs and place in your skillet with the sauce.

**Tip: If you are using ground turkey, it is very lean and does not stay together very well. I would suggest adding some olive oil to your mixture to help keep the meatballs formed. If you are using ground beef, you should not need to do this since it has more fat.
9. Cover the skillet and let your meatballs cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. Make sure to turn them every so often so that all sides get cooked.