Olive-Stuffed Meatballs

Ingredients You Need

• 2 cups fresh bread crumbs

• 1-1/2 cups skim or 1% low-fat milk

• 6 lb. lean ground beef

• 6 egg whites

• 12 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

• 3 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into 120 tiny pieces

• 2-1/4 quarts (9 cups) Lindsay® Black Ripe Pitted Olives, drained

• 2-1/4 lbs. multi-grain or whole wheat thin spaghetti

• 2-3/4 quarts (11 cups) pasta sauce (spicy or mild as desired)

• 1-1/2 cups chopped fresh basil or Italian parsley

Cooking Directions

1. Heat oven to 425°F.

2. Combine bread crumbs and milk in a large bowl; mix well.

3. Add meat, egg whites, garlic and pepper; mix well.

4. Shape mixture into 120 (1 inch) pieces.

5. Stuff one cube of cheese into 120 of the olives.

6. Wrap 1 piece of meat mixture completely around stuffed olive; place on a rimmed sheet pan.

7. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned and set.

8. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions omitting salt.

9. Cut remaining olives in half.

10. Heat pasta sauce in a large sauté pan over medium heat until hot.

11. Add cooked meatballs to sauce; heat through.

12. Spoon meatballs and sauce over drained spaghetti; top with basil.