Try a lean, Italian twist on tasty tapas

My neighbor Alyssia decided that after weeks of snow and nasty weather it was time for a few neighbors to get together some for Sunday evening noshing. She thought it would be fun if everyone brought two items that could be eaten in small servings, like tapas. That's all she told me after she extended her invitation.

My neighbors know I'm the Leanwizard and write about food, so there was no way could I do something that started with frozen or pre-prepared food. I had to figure out what to make.

That evening I'd tuned into "Good Eats" with Alton Brown on the Food Network. This episode: Great Balls of Meat. Sometimes Brown irks me with his attitude and over-the-top approach. But, Brown also knows his stuff and I always learn something from him. On that show he made meatballs, really great looking meatballs. I love spaghetti with meatballs and, since I grew up in the Chicago area, dig a good meatball sandwich dripping with sauce.

Brown made his meatballs with a mixture of equal parts ground pork, beef and lamb. He combined the meat with fresh breadcrumbs, chopped spinach, parmesan cheese, egg, dried basil and, parsley, garlic powder and red pepper flakes.

Brown used a scale, just as I do, to weigh out each meatball, so they were all exactly the same size. This isn't just fussy perfectionist on our parts. No. Those meatballs will all cook at the same speed and be done at the same time this way.

A good digital kitchen scale will cost about $50 (sometimes less) and is well worth the investment. If you already have one you know that once it's in your kitchen you'll find all sorts of reasons to use it.

Once formed, Brown's meatballs then took a quite different turn. He rolled them in fresh bread crumbs placed each one into mini-muffin tins (this kept their round shape) and, finally, baked them. I liked this idea, too, since frying meatballs to brown them and cook them through always seemed to end up greasy.

I located an easy-to-make tomato sauce recipe. I planned for my neighbors to spoon some sauce on a small plate, add a meatball, or two, and then spoon more sauce over the top. I also planned to have a small bowl of fresh-grated real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to dust the meatballs.

My meatballs, served with no bread or pasta, were exceedingly popular. My neighbors liked the texture and flavor as well as the crispy exterior from the breadcrumb coating. Two guests, unbeknownst to me before the get-together, came from large Italian families and they thought my meat balls were some of the best they ever tasted. Everyone brought great dishes, too (Alyssia's Asian slaw a particular standout) and although I liked my meatballs, I truly enjoyed everyone else's dishes.

Since I knew no one planned to bring a dessert, I made my big chocolate cherry oatmeal cookies (Oct. 10, 2007, column and online at dailyherald.com). Those disappeared so fast you'd have thought no one ate any dinner.

Everyone enjoyed my Italian tapas so much I made the sauce and meatballs (without the lamb and using much leaner pork and beef) and served them both over whole-wheat pasta for dinner another night. Unbelievably good. Give this a try; you won't be disappointed.

Spaghetti and Lean Meatballs with Homemade Red Sauce

Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, minced

1 medium carrot, peeled and minced

1 can (28 ounces) crushed seasoned tomatoes (such as Muir Glen Organic with Basil)

½ teaspoon salt

Meatballs

½ pound lean ground pork

1 pound 93 percent lean ground beef

5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained thoroughly

½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese

2 large egg whites

1½ teaspoons dried basil

1½ teaspoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1½ cups fresh whole wheat bread crumbs (made from 3-4 slices sandwich), divided

1 pound whole wheat (or blend with added fiber) spaghetti, cooked and drained (do not rinse)

For the sauce: Add olive oil to a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. When oil's hot add onion and carrots; cook over medium heat until vegetables soften, but do not brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and salt; bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and gently simmer until sauce thickens, about 1 hour. When done, taste and adjust seasonings.

For the meatballs: Place oven rack in center position and heat to 400 degrees. Line a half sheet pan with foil and place a wire rack in the center of the pan. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine pork, ground beef, spinach, cheese, egg, basil, parsley, garlic powder, salt, red pepper flakes and ½ cup bread crumbs. Using your hands, or a dinner fork, mix all ingredients until well incorporated.

Place remaining bread crumbs in a small bowl. Using a scale, weigh meat mixture into 1½ -ounce portions (you should have 16) and place on a separate small sheet pan; shape into meatballs, roll in the remaining bread crumbs and evenly place the meatballs on wire rack. Bake 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Place cooked spaghetti in large serving bowl, pour sauce over and toss to combine. Add meatballs and serve with additional parmesan cheese.

Serves eight.

Nutrition values per serving: 429 calories(23.7 percent from fat), 11.3 g fat (3.7 g saturated), 55.2 g carbohydrate, 11.1 g fiber, 30.9 g protein, 37 mg cholesterol, 738 mg sodium.

SaltSense: Omitting the added salt in the sauce and meatballs reduces the sodium per serving to 447 mg.