Favorite Quick & Easy Spaghetti And Meatballs

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 golden bell pepper, roughly diced (optional)
• 26 ounces of your favorite spaghetti sauce (i use a jar of classico italian sausage & peppers pasta sauce)
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green pepper celery and onion
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (such as reggiano lambrusco, chianti, red rose or burgundy)
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 lb prepared italian meatballs (fresh or frozen, -or- use crumbled & browned ground beef)
• whole wheat spaghetti (such as de cecco)
• grated parmesan cheese
• snipped fresh italian parsley, to garnish (or snipped basil or oregano)

Recipe

• 1 heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. add the bell peppers, and saute them in the oil until slightly softened (5 to 10 minutes).
• 2 add spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, red wine, the oregano, basil and garlic. partially cover pot; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often.
• 3 reduce heat, partially cover pot and simmer sauce for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 4 meanwhile in a separate pot, boil water and prepare noodles al dente; drain.
• 5 add fresh or frozen meatballs (or browned ground beef) to sauce; cook an additional 10-15 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
• 6 in individual bowls, ladle sauce over hot noodles.
• 7 serve with grated parmesan cheese and snipped fresh herbs (such as basil, parsley or oregano) at the table, as desired.
• 8 great served with a tossed green salad & mom's onion parmesan bread mom's easy onion-parmesan topped bread, and a nice bottle of red wine!
• 9 salut!