Low Fat Spaghetti and Meatballs

Low fat spaghetti and meatballs
RF Pictures / Getty Images
  • Total: 55 mins
  • Prep: 25 mins
  • Cook: 30 mins
  • Yield: Serves 4

By Fiona Haynes

Updated 04/05/19

Spaghetti and Meatballs are something the whole family can enjoy. Here, I make lower fat meatballs by using extra-lean ground beef and adding tomato sauce and chopped onion to keep them moist. The meatballs are baked, not fried, and then simmered in a low-fat marinara sauce. I promise you won't miss the excess fat in this low-fat spaghetti and meatballs dish.

What You'll Need

  • 3/4 pound extra-lean ground beef
  • 1/3 cup breadcrumbs (about 1 slice)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup canned no-salt-added tomato sauce
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 1/2 cups low fat, low sodium marinara sauce (such as Amy’s or Trader Joe’s)
  • 8-ounces spaghetti or angel hair pasta

How to Make It

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Crumble ground beef into a large mixing bowl. Add breadcrumbs, oregano, onion, tomato sauce, garlic, and parsley.​
  3. Combine ingredients thoroughly, either with fingers or with a fork.
  4. Roll meatball mixture into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheet.
  5. You should have about 20 meatballs.
  6. Bake in the oven for 16-18 minutes, turning once in the middle of cooking.
  1. Cook spaghetti in a large pot according to package directions, without added salt or oil.
  2. In a large pan, heat marinara sauce; add cooked meatballs to the sauce and simmer until the pasta is ready.

Per Serving: Calories 404, Calories from Fat 60, Total Fat 6.9g (sat 2.4g), Cholesterol 52mg, Sodium 242mg, Carbohydrate 58.4g, Fiber 3.4g, Protein 27.7g

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
579 Calories
13g Fat
76g Carbs
39g Protein
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)