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Are you looking for a recipe that your kids will like, but that is also nutritious? This homemade spaghetti sauce is fresh, delicious, a little bit sweet (which your kids will love), and features homemade meatballs that add a perfect amount of protein for a complete meal.
My two little boys are a little bit picky when it comes to vegetables – especially the youngest one. They will eat fruit all day long and will even choose that over snacks sometimes, which I am happy about, but when it comes to vegetables, they don’t want to eat any! There have been times when they have tried carrots, potatoes, or broccoli, but they are few and far between. That is why I have had to find ways to “hide” the vegetables in their daily meals so that they are getting the necessary nutrientes.
What makes it a little bit easier is that they both love pasta, and if it has meat in it, they absolutely devour it. In the past they have asked for the pasta without sauce, until they tried this one which has quickly become their favorite and which makes me one happy mommy! The best part about this recipe is that you can switch out these vegetables for whatever you prefer or whatever you have in your refrigerator. You can even use this sauce later for lasagna!
The perfect mate for this sauce and are these delicious meatballs, made with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs. These go great with spaghetti, but they are also delicious on their own!
For these meatballs, you will need 1 pound of ground beef, 5 slices of white bread (slightly stale), diced onion, garlic, parsley, and one egg. Start by dipping the bread in water and then removing the excess water. Next combine it with the ground beef, the egg, the Parmesan cheese, the onions, garlic, and the chopped parsley. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Mix everything together and form meatballs in the size and shape of your choice. Then bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or until they are cooked through and browned. Finally, add to the spaghetti sauce, and let them cook together for 10-15 minutes.
Let me know in the comments section how this turned out for you or what changes you made!
The Best Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 Package of Spaghetti cooked per package instructions.
For the Spaghetti Sauce
- 8 fresh tomatoes
- 1 green squash
- 1 yellow squash
- 1-2 carrots
- 1-2 sticks of celery
- Spinach leaves optional
- 1/2 yellow pepper
- 1/4 onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 roasted red pepper peeled and de-seeded
- 2 T of tomato paste
- 2 T of sugar or more if desired
- 1/2 cup of whipping cream
- 1 T of the following: dry parsley dry basil, cumin, black pepper
- Salt to taste
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 4 slices of stale white bread
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 finely chopped onion
- 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- Parsely finely chopped
Instructions
For the Spaghetti Sauce
- Begin by sauteing the cloves of garlic with a little bit of olive oil until slightly browned, but without burning. Remove the garlic cloves and set aside.
- Roast the red pepper in the oven or on the stove top before removing the skin and the seeds, set aside.
- Cut the rest of the vegetables up and saute over medium heat in the same pot until slightly browned, and then blend in a blender with the garlic cloves and the roasted red pepper.
- Once blended, return the mixture to the pot and add the tomato paste until completely dissolved and the seasonings and the sugar and mix well.
- Cook on medium heat for about 40 minutes in a covered pot.
- Add the whipping cream and let cook for a few more minutes before adding the meatballs.
For the Meatballs
- Soak the bread in 1/4 cup of water and squeeze out any excess water.
- Add the bread to the ground beef, together with the parsley, garlic, diced onions, Parmesan cheese, egg, and other seasonings.
- Mix well, and form meatballs in the size that you want.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes and then add to the spaghetti sauce.
- Let cook for another 10-15 minutes together before serving over spaghetti.