Tuna Meatballs & Linguine with a Spicy Marinara Sauce
If you love pasta dishes but have been cutting back on red meat, my Tuna Meatballs is a delicious way to enjoy pasta and meatballs without the guilt! Add in a spicy marinara and you've got a restaurant worthy dish, made in your own kitchen.
Servings: 4
Calories: 611kcal
Ingredients
Tuna Meatballs
- 2 4 oz Blue Harbor Albacore Tuna (4.6 oz undrained) well drained
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
Spicy Marinara Sauce
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- 2 clove garlic finely minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper more or less depending upon how spicy you want the sauce
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb spaghetti cooked per instructions on box
Instructions
Tuna Meatballs
- In the bowl of your food processor add the tuna, garlic, basil, breadcrumbs, egg and some seasoning.
- Pulse the mixture until fully mixed and the tuna is shredded.
- Once fully combined, roll the mixture into 8 meatballs shaped tuna balls
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and sear the tuna balls for 3-4 minutes. When you have some color on the tuna meatballs transfer them onto a plate and refrigerate them until needed.
Spicy Marinara Sauce
- In the same pan, add the olive and saute the onions and garlic for 1-2 minutes on medium heat until fragrant.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and spices to the pan.
- Bring the marinara to a light boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.*If the sauce is thick, add a little water to the pan.
- After simmering the sauce for 20 minutes, taste and re-season the sauce if needed.
- Carefully place the tuna meatballs into the sauce, spooning some of the sauce over top of the meatballs.*Be careful not to stir the meatballs around, so they don't break up
- When you put the sauce on simmer, start your pasta water. *Allow the sauce to continue simmering on low with the tuna meatballs in the sauce while the pasta cooks.
- Begin cooking the pasta when you add the meatballs to the sauce.
- Add a little of the sauce into the pasta and divide between four bowls. Place two tuna meatballs on each portion of pasta with additional sauce.
- Serve with grated cheese and enjoy!
Notes
*Get some color on two sides of the tuna meatballs, don't try and sear the entire ball or it will break up.
Nutrition
Calories: 611kcal | Carbohydrates: 108g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 795mg | Potassium: 928mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 695IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 5mg