Garlicky Meatball Pasta

Every once in awhile, Jason amuses me by throwing out a dinner suggestion when I ask my weekly question of 'is there anything you're craving?' while making my menu plans. This time, he tossed out spaghetti.

Now, I could go and just make your basic spaghetti with meat sauce and he'd be a happy camper but I can never leave a good thing alone!

In this case, my determination to change it up totally paid off. Anything pasta based is typically a dieters downfall so I scoped out recipes on Cooking Light, read the reviews and suggestions of others, and came up with this.

It's super flavorful and finished in 30 minutes - with homemade meatballs!

Be sure and use your favorite jarred marinara, or make your own. The sauce really shines in this dish so you don't want anything bland.

Garlicky Meatball Pasta
9 ounces refrigerated fettuccine
1 lb ground sirloin
1/2 cup panko
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 garlic cloves, minced
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups marinara sauce
Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the pasta water.

While the pasta cooks, make the meatballs. In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, panko, basil, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, and egg. Shape the mixture in 1.5 inch meatballs.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for about 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the marinara sauce. Add the reserved pasta sauce if it seems too thick (or if you prefer a thinner sauce). Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Ladle meatballs and sauce over the hot cooked pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Source: adapted from Cooking Light