Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Meatballs

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Peel and mince the garlic. Peel and small dice the onion. Small dice the celery. Pick the parsley leaves off the stems; discard the stems and roughly chop the leaves.

In a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add half of the onion and half of the garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 4 minutes, or until softened. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce for 6 to 8 minutes, or until slightly reduced in volume. Remove from heat and set aside in a warm place while you continue cooking.

While the sauce simmers, in a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, panko breadcrumbs, celery, Italian seasoning, half the parsley and the remaining garlic and onion with a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and gently mix until just combined. Using your hands, roll the mixture into 14 to 16 small meatballs (slightly smaller than golf ball-sized).

While the sauce continues to simmer, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally to brown them on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes or until mostly cooked through. (You can easily test the meatballs by removing one and cutting it in half.) Transfer the browned meatballs to the tomato sauce. Heat on medium for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through. Remove from heat.

While the sauce and meatballs cook, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook 10 to 12 minutes, or until al dente (still just slightly firm to the bite). Drain thoroughly.

Divide the cooked pasta between 2 dishes and top with the meatballs and a couple spoonfuls of sauce. Garnish with the Parmesan cheese and remaining parsley. Enjoy!