Heart Healthy Spinach Meatballs with Tomato Sauce Recipe
Chopped spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and ricotta are the stars of this unique vegetarian dish. Serve up this deliciously saucy dish as a starter or main dish with a side salad.
Ingredients
Recipe yields 8 servings
2 tsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/8 tsp black pepper
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 lb frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 egg whites
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
Directions
Step 1
Make the sauce: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, garlic, salt and 2/8 teaspoon of the black pepper and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion is softened.
Step 2
Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Add parsley and simmer another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep warm.
Step 3
Make the spinach meatballs: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, spinach, sundried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and egg whites until combined. Stir in garlic powder, the remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper and 6 tablespoons flour. Form mixture into small, firm balls.
Step 4
Place 1 cup flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge the formed balls in flour to coat, tapping off the excess. Drop formed balls into the boiling water (work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pot).
Step 5
Boil for about 4 minutes, or until balls float to the top. With a slotted spoon, remove balls and toss with the tomato sauce. Serve warm.
Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 200
Make this for:
Dietary Review:
Jane Schwartz, RDN, CLT
This recipe has been reviewed by a dietitian. Click here to learn more.
Nutrition facts
Serving Size: 3 to 4 meatballs
Per serving:
calories:200
total fat:6g
sat fat:3g
cholesterol:15mg
sodium:533mg
total carb:24g
fibers:3g
proteins:13g
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About This Healthy Recipe
Meatballs without meat? Is that possible? It sure is! These spinach meatballs are just as good as the “real thing” but the vegetarian meatballs are made from spinach, sundried tomatoes, ricotta, parmesan cheese and egg whites, along with some seasoning. That means you’ll get all the nutrients that are packed into the veggies (spinach and tomatoes are nutritional powerhouses!) while enjoying satisfying comfort food. The homemade tomato sauce is the perfect accompaniment to these heart-healthy meatballs and rounds out the meal. Serve these healthy meatballs as a main dish or an appetizer. Kids will enjoy this dish as much as adults – and they may not even know they’re eating something good for them!
Thank you!