Greek Pasta with Meatballs

This riff on spaghetti and meatballs uses rice-shaped pasta, ground lamb, and feta cheese.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup orzo, 3 meatballs, and 1/2 cup sauce)

Ingredients

• 2  cups  hot cooked orzo
• 1/3  cup  plain dry breadcrumbs
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  pound  lean ground lamb
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 2  large egg whites
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 2  cups  jarred marinara sauce
• 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Cook orzo according to package directions; drain. Keep warm.

3. Combine breadcrumbs and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl; stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley. Add egg whites, stirring mixture until just combined. Shape mixture into 12 (1-inch) meatballs; cover and chill meatballs 5 minutes.

4. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs to pan; cook 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Drain well; wipe pan clean with paper towels. Return meatballs to pan. Spoon marinara sauce over meatballs; sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375° for 11 minutes or until meatballs are done. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons parsley. Serve over orzo.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

486

Fat:

14.1g (sat 5.7g,mono 4.5g,poly 0.8g)

Protein:

37.4g

Carbohydrate:

50.7g

Fiber:

3.9g

Cholesterol:

94mg

Iron:

5.8mg

Sodium:

919mg

Calcium:

164mg