Healthier Italian Spaghetti Sauce With Meatballs - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 bay leaf
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 basil leaves, torn, plus additional for sprinkling on top

Preparation

Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 clove garlic, and beaten egg in a large bowl. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store covered in refrigerator until needed.
Cook and stir onion, 5 cloves garlic, and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until onions are translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar, and bay leaf. Cover with lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 60 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, basil, and meatballs. Simmer on low heat until meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes.