Asian Spaghetti and Meatballs

| kathybusch

christy

C’mon, admit it, everyone goes straight to the “Chinese noodles” at the Asian Buffet. Don’t deny it. They’re the best part of a takeout box, the best midnight snack, and the best thing to satisfy a cheat day craving.

But, there’s no real protein. For a plate of noodles to feel like a meal, there has to be a meat. The natural pairing with spaghetti? Meatballs, of course.

So, these meatballs are spiked with ginger, garlic, green onion, sesame oil, and all things yummy. They bake in the oven while you prepare the pasta. The pasta is dressed with a soy sesame dressing, and they serve as the perfect bed for the meatballs. There are a few steps in this recipe, but none of them are hard, and it’s a lot easier than fighting traffic to get to a certain panda-themed takeout restaurant.

INGREDIENTS:

Meatballs:

  • 1 pound ground beef or turkey
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Noodles:

  • 1 package spaghetti
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon garlic
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 cup sugar snap peas
  • 1/2 bell pepper, sliced
  • 1/2 cup zucchini, sliced
  • 1/2 cup green beans, trimmed (you can use any veggies you like!)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt&pepper to taste
  • Garnishes (optional): sesame seeds, sliced jalapenos, extra green onions and hot sauce, a lime wedge.

To prepare:

Make the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400. Gently combine the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Do not over mix. Bake on a greased baking sheet for ten minutes, until cooked through.

Boil the spaghetti according to package directions

Make the sauce: Combine remaining ingredients- excluding olive oil- in a bowl and taste for seasoning.

Saute’ the veggies: Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add veggies and stir. Cook until tender.

When the pasta is done, throw it into the pan with the veggies. Pour sauce over the top and toss to combine.

Serve a pile of noodles and veggies with meatballs on top.

Garnish with additional green onions, hot sauce, sliced jalapenos, sesame seeds.

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