Spaghetti and Meatballs | Slimming Eats (2024)

Calories in Spaghetti and Meatballs

This Spaghetti and Meatballs recipes serves 4 and is 517 calories per serving.

If you're looking for more recipes within the same calorie range, you'll find an abundance of options in my dedicated collection of500+ calorie recipes.

If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie intake using a reliable calorie calculator. Please note that the calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary based on specific ingredients and serving sizes. Personalizing your calculations is essential to meet your individual needs. By using a calorie calculator, you can make informed choices and stay on track with your dietary goals.

Ingredients Needed

To make this recipe you will need the following ingredients:

• Beef Mince (Ground Beef): use extra lean (5% fat) to keep the calories low
  Parsley: fresh parsley adds a delightful and healthy touch of green to the meatballs
  Seasoning: garlic and onion powder (or granules) ensure you don't use garlic or onion salt by mistake.
  Breadcrumbs: fine golden breadcrumbs, these help keep the meatballs lovely and tender
• Egg: fresh large egg
• Spaghetti: You have the option of using traditional white pasta, wholegrain pasta, or a gluten-free alternative.
• Vegetables: onion, carrot and courgette (Zucchini) are all use to great depth and texture to the sauce.
• Garlic: For convenience, I opt for jarred minced garlic. If you prefer fresh garlic, note that 1 teaspoon of jarred minced garlic is equivalent to 1 clove of fresh garlic.
• Herbes de Provence: Herbes de Provence is my preferred herb blend for any pasta sauce. It consists of a delightful mixture of thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaf. If you don't have this blend on hand, using mixed or Italian herbs in the same quantity will work just as well.
• Tomatoes: a mixture of passata (sieved tomatoes) and some tomato paste (puree) which is concentrated are used in this recipe and combined helps create a delicious rich tomato pasta sauce.
• Stock:Either beef or chicken is fine to use in the sauce. It's essential to use the correct ratio of stock cubes to water, as not all stock cubes are identical. Using too few can lead to a bland, watery broth, while too many may create a stock that's overly salty.
• Balsamic Vinegar: use a good quality aged vinegar for the best taste.
• Sugar: A little sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes creating a perfect sauce. If you like you cna use your preferred sweetener. However only a small amount is used.
• Salt and Pepper- These basic yet essential flavour enhancers are key for elevating the taste of your dishes. No food will ever be bland when these are used to season to taste.
• Low Calorie Spray- Use your preferred choice of low calorie spray, I prefer olive oil or avocado sprays without any added emulsifiers.

Once you've gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you're all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.

See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions.

How to Serve Spaghetti and Meatballs

When it comes to serving spaghetti and meatballs, there are two popular approaches. Some prefer to mix the spaghetti directly into the sauce and meatballs, ensuring every strand is coated in flavor. Others opt to serve the meatballs and sauce over the spaghetti, allowing diners to combine them on their plate. Both methods are perfectly acceptable and offer a delicious dining experience.

Once plated, consider garnishing with fresh Italian parsley or basil and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for added flavour.

As for a side dish, a vibrant mixed salad with lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, carrot, onion, and peppers, dressed with a light vinaigrette, complements the meal beautifully, providing a refreshing contrast to the rich flavours of the pasta dish.

Enjoy this Spaghetti and Meatballs for dinner tonight! The only decision left to make is how to tackle them. Are you a knife and fork type, or do you prefer the spoon and fork approach with spaghetti? Personally, I'm all for the latter.

FAQ For Spaghetti and Meatballs

Recipe Card

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Yield: SERVES 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Tender homemade beef meatballs in a rich tomato sauce, served with spaghetti, make for the perfect family meal.

Ingredients

• 260g (9.2oz) of uncooked spaghetti

For the sauce:

• 480g (2 cups) of passata
• 360ml (1 ½ cups) of beef stock
• 2 tablespoon of tomato paste
• splash of balsamic vinegar
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 1 zucchini (courgette), finely chopped
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons of mixed herbs
• 2 teaspoons of granulated sweetener
• salt and black pepper
• spray oil

For the meatballs:

• 455g (1lb) of extra lean beef mince
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon of onion powder
• ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
• 30g (¼ cup) of golden fine or Italian breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons of 2% milk
• 1 egg beaten, to bind
• salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients for the meatballs to a large bowl, mix to combine together and form into meatballs (I make 16)
2. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat, spray with low calorie spray and add the meatballs and fry until lightly browned all over, remove and set aside.
3. Spray the pan with a little more low calorie spray and add the onion, garlic and carrot and fry until well softened.
4. Add the zucchini,Herbes de Provence, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, sugar, stock and crushed passata and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat, cover and simmer sauce for 20 mins.
6. Add meatballs and simmer covered for another 20 mins.
7. While sauce is simmering, add the spaghetti to a saucepan of boiling hot salted water and cook until al dente. Drain, but reserve 80ml (⅓ cup) of pasta water.
8. When the spaghetti is cooked, scoop out the meatballs and some of of the sauce to a bowl. Then add the spaghetti to the rest of the sauce and mix till pasta is coated.
9. Add back in the meatballs with the reserved pasta water and stir to combine. Season with salt and black pepper as needed.
10. Serve topped with a little chopped Italian parsley
11. Optional: sprinkle with a little parmesan
12. Enjoy!

Notes

Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:

• WW Personal Points: add ingredients to your WW diary for points value - as this may vary depending on your personal points zero foods)
• Gluten Free Friendly:use gluten free stock and pasta
• Dairy Free Friendly: without the optional parmesan
• Freezer Friendly ❄️

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Nutrition Information

Yield 4Serving Size 1 SERVING
Amount Per ServingCalories 517Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 66mgSodium 724mgCarbohydrates 71gFiber 5gSugar 14gProtein 39g

Nutritional information and values etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.

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