Dinner: Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

Recipe by Joan Lang Tomatoes are a top plant source of umami, and the riper they are, the better: The fruit's umami components increase during maturation. What's more, whole-wheat pasta has triple the fiber of regular pasta for more fill-you-up power.

Ingredients

8 pounds tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 small dried hot pepper, chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt, preferably sea salt, divided
2 cups Italian bread, torn into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup 1 percent milk
1 pound ground turkey (93 percent lean)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 pound whole-wheat spaghetti
Grated Parmesan or Romano (optional)

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 °F. In a large baking dish, combine tomatoes, onion, 1/4 cup oil, garlic, pepper flakes (if desired) and 1 tablespoon salt; cover; roast 45 minutes. Remove dish from oven; mash mixture to break down tomatoes. Cook, uncovered, until sauce is thick and reduced, 45 minutes. In a bowl, soak bread in milk until it absorbs liquid, 10 minutes; add turkey, egg and remaining 1 teaspoon salt; mix until just combined. Gently roll meat mixture into 16 equal-sized balls. In a large nonstick saucepan, heat remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Sauté meatballs, turning occasionally, until light brown, 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce to meatballs; reduce heat; simmer until cooked through, 20 minutes. Cook pasta as directed on package. Serve sauce over pasta; top with cheese, if desired.

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