The Power of Italian Cuisine: A Guilt-Free Delight

There's no denying that when it comes to Italian dishes, many people have a love-hate relationship with them. The rich flavors and aromas can be overwhelming, and the guilt associated with indulging in such rich foods is often too much to bear. However, for one individual, their mother's Italian cuisine has been a source of inspiration and innovation that has led to the creation of a healthier, yet just as delicious version of their favorite dish.

My mom was, and still is, one of the greatest cooks I've ever had the pleasure of tasting her creations. Her spaghetti with meatballs was always a staple at family gatherings, and it's safe to say that it was one of my favorite dishes growing up. However, as I grew older and started to take an interest in health, I realized that traditional Italian cuisine could be detrimental to my waistline. My mom's version of the dish, with its 1100 calories per serving, was a far cry from what I wanted.

In order to satisfy my cravings without compromising on taste, I set out to create a healthier version of spaghetti and meatballs. The first step in this process was to identify areas where traditional recipes could be improved upon. Upon examining the original recipe, I realized that eggplant was an ingredient often overlooked in modern cooking. Its unique flavor profile and high fiber content made it an ideal addition to the dish.

To incorporate the eggplant into my creation, I began by cutting a medium-sized eggplant in half and scoring its surface deeply. This allowed me to release some of the bitter water that's present within the fruit, making it more palatable for consumption. Next, I seasoned the eggplant with salt and placed it under the broiler before tossing it into the microwave for about two minutes. The result was a tender and flavorful eggplant that would add depth to my dish without overpowering its other components.

With the eggplant out of the way, I turned my attention to the meatballs themselves. My mom's recipe called for beef, veal, and pork, but I wanted to make some adjustments to suit my dietary needs. I replaced the traditional meats with lean turkey and extra lean beef, ensuring that the dish would be healthier without sacrificing flavor.

To replace the breadcrumbs often used in traditional recipes, I opted for puffed kamut – a type of wheat that provides an incredible amount of texture when cooked. The kamut not only added a satisfying crunch to the meatballs but also helped bind them together more effectively than breadcrumbs ever could. After mixing the ingredients together with olive oil spray and seasoning with salt, I formed the mixture into small balls, which would then be browned on all sides in a ceramic non-stick pan.

The final step was to create the sauce that brings everything together. My mom's recipe relied heavily on red packed tomatoes – a staple in many Italian dishes. However, I wanted to upgrade this ingredient by purchasing the best tomatoes available. The difference was almost immediate, as the flavor profile of the dish transformed from bland and uninspired to rich and vibrant.

To create the sauce, I began by sautéing a clove of chopped garlic in olive oil before adding a quarter cup of diced onion. The aroma that filled the kitchen was incredible, and it set the tone for what was to come. Next, I added the red packed tomatoes – which my mom insisted on using due to their flavor profile – along with some chicken broth and parsley. As the sauce simmered over low heat for about an hour, the flavors melded together in perfect harmony.

As the sauce cooled slightly, I removed the meatballs from the pan and placed them into a bowl of hot water to keep them warm. The pasta, either brown rice or kamut, was cooked according to my preference before being tossed with some crushed red pepper flakes for added flavor. As I assembled the dish, the aroma that filled the kitchen grew stronger, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation.

Finally, it was time to plate the spaghetti and meatballs. The first bite was nothing short of magical – the flavors danced on my palate, and the textures combined in perfect harmony. It was clear that this dish had been elevated to new heights, and I knew that I had created something truly special.

The best part about this creation? It's not only delicious but also healthier than its traditional counterpart. With a mere 349 calories per serving, it's an ideal option for those looking to indulge in Italian cuisine without sacrificing their diet. The eggplant adds natural sweetness while the puffed kamut provides a satisfying crunch – all of which come together to create a dish that's both familiar and innovative.

If you're like me and have a love-hate relationship with traditional Italian cuisine, then I encourage you to give this recipe a try. With its healthier ingredients and creative twist on classic flavors, it's the perfect solution for those looking to indulge in the rich taste of Italy without compromising on taste or nutrition.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: eni don't think there's a person in this world if you put an italian dish in front of them would say oh no italian no not again this is a great way to indulge in rich lusty italian food guilt-free i do have a mother who's one of the greatest cooks that ever lived so for the best thing i ever made italian i'm choosing mama's meatballs with spaghetti the greatest italian dish that was ever made ever this spaghetti meatballs that i'm gonna make based on my mom's version melt in your mouth in the last five to six years i've been focused on remaking comfort foods so that they're healthy because i had my own weight problem i had some health issues cropping up and i wanted to do something about it and i certainly was not going to give up eating my mom's spaghetti and meatballs her version is 1100 calories a portion with pasta my version is only 349 calories and the fat grams have gone from 25 to only four and a half those are life extending reductions in addition to that my mom has tasted these and she said these are better than the original she doesn't give away compliments easily even to me here's how you start you just take a medium eggplant and you cut in half score it deeply season it with some salt and allow some of the moisture that bitter water to come out is that enough a little more that's enough throw it under the broiler take it out and throw in the microwave covered for about two minutes eggplant is one of the ingredients i put in the meatballs to give me texture replace some of the fatty meat without losing a lot of flavor i'm using a ceramic non-stick pan and a little bit of olive oil spray i like to use olive oil spray because it's pure olive oil and it's a great way to reduce a lot of fat add the clove of chopped garlic a quarter cup of onion and a pinch of red chili flakes now my mom insists on using red packed tomatoes which is a fairly generic store brand i bought her the best tomatoes in the world she doesn't want to hear any of that red pack when you get the flavor results she gets you can't argue with her she uses half diced and half pureed the other addition is chicken broth once you have all the liquids in the pan you want to simmer it over low heat for about an hour i've been asked a million times what makes these meatballs so good this is one element that i think makes them particularly exceptional she starts out by making this slurry it's chicken broth one egg white garlic onions and parsley the slurry ensures that the highly aromatic flavors reach every corner every nook and cranny of the meatball mix okay so with the eggplant that we cooked in the microwave we're just gonna scoop the pulp out and chop it grab a nice big bowl in the original recipe uh my mom calls for beef veal and pork i've replaced the veal with lean turkey the beef with extra lean beef and the pork i've kept we're going to add a half a cup of the eggplant some parmesan reggiano so my mother's recipe calls for bread crumbs and to replace the bread crumbs and a lot of the meat that we took out i'm using puffed kamut it's a kind of wheat and when it's puffed like this provides an incredible amount of texture so now we put the slurry in season with salt and then after that mix it with your hands not over mixing the meat mix super important if you over mix it it's going to get tacky and start to stiffen and make it really really tough a little olive oil spray in the pan as well as on my hand extract a heaping tablespoon of meat mixture and roll it and you try to brown four sides and then finishing the cooking in the sauce for about 45 minutes to an hour while that's happening you cook your spaghetti either brown rice pasta or kamut pasta serve the meatballs and then i'm going to finish the pasta right in that same pan so i'm going to do is add one ladle of the water the pasta was cooked in parmigiano-reggiano some crushed red pepper flakes toss it a few times and then you put it on the table let people go crazy i love you don't wait for anybody that's fantastic how does it look delicious delicious these meatballs are extremely juicy like a delicious prime aged ribeye steak good right yeah and the sauce tastes like a sundae ragu that low calorie stuff is nonsense because i'm just gonna eat like five plates of it so if you can make spaghetti meatballs healthy food and it tastes better than the original you got something there i think you put them in the bowl yeah man get a big hug for that youi don't think there's a person in this world if you put an italian dish in front of them would say oh no italian no not again this is a great way to indulge in rich lusty italian food guilt-free i do have a mother who's one of the greatest cooks that ever lived so for the best thing i ever made italian i'm choosing mama's meatballs with spaghetti the greatest italian dish that was ever made ever this spaghetti meatballs that i'm gonna make based on my mom's version melt in your mouth in the last five to six years i've been focused on remaking comfort foods so that they're healthy because i had my own weight problem i had some health issues cropping up and i wanted to do something about it and i certainly was not going to give up eating my mom's spaghetti and meatballs her version is 1100 calories a portion with pasta my version is only 349 calories and the fat grams have gone from 25 to only four and a half those are life extending reductions in addition to that my mom has tasted these and she said these are better than the original she doesn't give away compliments easily even to me here's how you start you just take a medium eggplant and you cut in half score it deeply season it with some salt and allow some of the moisture that bitter water to come out is that enough a little more that's enough throw it under the broiler take it out and throw in the microwave covered for about two minutes eggplant is one of the ingredients i put in the meatballs to give me texture replace some of the fatty meat without losing a lot of flavor i'm using a ceramic non-stick pan and a little bit of olive oil spray i like to use olive oil spray because it's pure olive oil and it's a great way to reduce a lot of fat add the clove of chopped garlic a quarter cup of onion and a pinch of red chili flakes now my mom insists on using red packed tomatoes which is a fairly generic store brand i bought her the best tomatoes in the world she doesn't want to hear any of that red pack when you get the flavor results she gets you can't argue with her she uses half diced and half pureed the other addition is chicken broth once you have all the liquids in the pan you want to simmer it over low heat for about an hour i've been asked a million times what makes these meatballs so good this is one element that i think makes them particularly exceptional she starts out by making this slurry it's chicken broth one egg white garlic onions and parsley the slurry ensures that the highly aromatic flavors reach every corner every nook and cranny of the meatball mix okay so with the eggplant that we cooked in the microwave we're just gonna scoop the pulp out and chop it grab a nice big bowl in the original recipe uh my mom calls for beef veal and pork i've replaced the veal with lean turkey the beef with extra lean beef and the pork i've kept we're going to add a half a cup of the eggplant some parmesan reggiano so my mother's recipe calls for bread crumbs and to replace the bread crumbs and a lot of the meat that we took out i'm using puffed kamut it's a kind of wheat and when it's puffed like this provides an incredible amount of texture so now we put the slurry in season with salt and then after that mix it with your hands not over mixing the meat mix super important if you over mix it it's going to get tacky and start to stiffen and make it really really tough a little olive oil spray in the pan as well as on my hand extract a heaping tablespoon of meat mixture and roll it and you try to brown four sides and then finishing the cooking in the sauce for about 45 minutes to an hour while that's happening you cook your spaghetti either brown rice pasta or kamut pasta serve the meatballs and then i'm going to finish the pasta right in that same pan so i'm going to do is add one ladle of the water the pasta was cooked in parmigiano-reggiano some crushed red pepper flakes toss it a few times and then you put it on the table let people go crazy i love you don't wait for anybody that's fantastic how does it look delicious delicious these meatballs are extremely juicy like a delicious prime aged ribeye steak good right yeah and the sauce tastes like a sundae ragu that low calorie stuff is nonsense because i'm just gonna eat like five plates of it so if you can make spaghetti meatballs healthy food and it tastes better than the original you got something there i think you put them in the bowl yeah man get a big hug for that you\n"