Pasta with Pecan "Meatballs"

This is a healthy rendition of the traditional spaghetti with meatballs.  Pecans are a huge health booster.  These tasty nuts contain some of the highest antioxidant capacity of all foods.  Antioxidants are dietary substances that have been shown to delay aging and decrease the risk of cancer, heart disease, and neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s.  Pecans also contain over 19 vitamins and minerals! What more do I need to say...make sure to get some pecans into your diet today...why not start by making these tasty and good-for-you pecan "meatballs" for dinner tonight!

Per 5 Meatball Serving    Cal    Fat    Sat Fat    Cholesterol    Sodium    Carbs    Fiber    Sugar   Protein
Traditional Meatballs       283    18g    7g           104mg        669mg       11g        1g        2g       17g
Pecan Meatballs               152     8g      0g           0mg         191mg       17g        4g        3g         5g

Ingredients

• 4 cups whole grain bread crumbs (approximately 8 slices of bread if you make your own)
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup pecan meal (or enough pecans to put in the blender and make 1 cup of ground up pecans)
• 1 cup celery, cut into large pieces
• 1 cup onion, cut into large pieces
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1 teaspoon Braggs Liquid Aminos or low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried or fresh oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

Directions 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly coat a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
If you did not purchase pecan meal, put pecans in blender and grind until finely chopped. 

  

Combine bread crumbs, oats, and ground pecans in a large bowl.  Set aside

Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor; blend until finely ground.

 Add mixture to dry ingredients.  Stir until thoroughly mixed.  Let mixture sit for 5 minutes to absorb moisture.  Gradually add more water if needed, allowing time for mix to absorb.

Form mixture into 1 inch balls, pressing firmly with hands to shape balls well; place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake until browned, about 30 minutes, turning meatballs over halfway through.  Place meatballs on top of prepared whole grain pasta and top with low sodium spaghetti sauce.  I served this with fresh, steamed green beans and whole grain garlic toast. 

Recipe taken from: Give Them Something Better cookbook by Sarah Frain & Stephanie Howard