Sneaky Spaghetti and Meatballs

Italian Dinner Recipes

1/2 lb. ground meat 1 c. breadcrumbs 1/2 c. butternut squash puree 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp. salt black pepper to taste 2 tsp. olive oil 1 26oz. can tomato puree 1/2 c. water 1/4 tsp. garlic powder pinch cayenne 1 bay leaf 1/2 lb. spaghetti

As seen on TV - just had to try some of those Deceptively Delicious recipes. On my tasting panel, the two youngest enjoyed the meatballs without comment, while the oldest proclaimed them 'a little tart.' Squash taste not noticeable, but a little bready. On Butternut Squash Puree Cut the top of the squash and discard. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and all the thready bits that hold them. Roast them for a tasty treat later... Place both halves of the squash face down on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 50 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once comfortable to handle, scoop out the soft flesh with a spoon. It's pretty well mashed at this point without any further action. Give the puree a smooth finish with a hand mixer (like you were making mashed potatoes) or a blender or a food processor. Make Dinner In a large bowl, combine meat, breadcrumbs, squash puree, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper (or salt and pepper to taste). Form into small meatballs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and place meatballs in the skillet so they're not touching. Brown on all sides. Add tomato puree, garlic powder, cayenne, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer sauce and meatballs 20 min. In the meantime, boil a large pot of water to cook spaghetti according to package directions. Serve spaghetti and meatballs topped with romano cheese.

Submitted by Gretchen Grant
Contributed on: Friday October 19th, 2007 and modified on Friday May 2nd, 2008