Amazing Meatballs

Amazing meatballs just like an Italian grandma would make.  This is my choice for a Mother's Day meal that easy and sure to please.

Ingredients

• 1 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce, or to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place the beef into a mixing bowl, and season with salt, onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; mix well. Add the milk, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Mix until evenly blended, then form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, and place onto a baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

Low-Fat Ground Turkey Pasta

M. Leiland writes: "We make this low-fat ground turkey pasta recipe about once a week; it is really easy, low fat, and the cinnamon and cumin give the turkey a great flavor!"

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package rotini pasta
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain.
2. Combine turkey, onion, salt, black pepper, oregano, garlic powder, cinnamon, cumin, and cayenne pepper in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until turkey is browned, about 10 minutes. Add spaghetti sauce, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour over rotini.

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package uncooked tri-color rotini pasta
• 10 slices bacon
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons dry ranch salad dressing mix
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper
• 1/2 cup milk, or as needed
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 (4.25 ounce) can sliced black olives
• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain.
2. Place bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook until evenly brown. Drain and chop.
3. In a large bowl, mix mayonnaise, ranch dressing mix, garlic powder, and garlic pepper. Stir in milk until smooth. Place rotini, bacon, tomato, black olives and cheese in bowl and toss to coat with dressing. Cover and chill at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Toss with additional milk if the salad seems a little dry.

One Pan Orecchiette Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• salt to taste
• 8 ounces spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
• 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided, or as needed
• 1 1/4 cups orecchiette pasta, or more to taste
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped arugula, or to taste
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or to taste

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion with a pinch of salt in hot oil until onion is soft and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir sausage into onions; cook and stir until sausage is broken up and browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Pour 1 1/2 cups chicken broth into sausage mixture and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add orecchiette pasta; cook and stir pasta in hot broth, adding remaining broth when liquid is absorbed, until pasta is cooked through and most of the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
3. Stir arugula into pasta-sausage mixture until arugula wilts. Ladle pasta into bowls and dust with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.