Spaghetti Carbonara With Meatball Sauce

THIS RECIPE CAN BE MADE AS A LOW FAT AND/OR VEGETARIAN VERSION

The idea was simple! I was combining a meatless Spaghetti Carbonara with Spaghetti with Meatballs. The idea was to use the meatball gravy as a sauce on top of the Carbonara. So, I Googled recipes of Carnonara and Spaghetti with meatballs and made some of my own additions and voila!

INGREDIENTS

• Spaghetti (Great Value whole wheat angel hair spaghetti used)
• Chicken stock, 6 to 7 cups
• Parmesan cheese, powdered, 3/4 cup
• Vegetable/canola oil, 1/4 cup
• Onions, fine chopped, 2 medium sized
• Garlic cloves, 5 to 6, fine chopped
• Dried parsley leaves, crushed, 1 tablespoon
• Red chili flakes, 1/2 teaspoon
• Pre-cooked meatballs (Gardein meatless, vegetarian meatballs used)
• Mushrooms, canned and sliced, 1 Great Value can used
• Green bell peppers, chopped, 2 cups 
• Any other vegetable of choice
• Italian seasoning
• Salt
• Tomato sauce, 3-4 cups
• Soy sauce, 1 tablespoon
• Chili sauce (Sriracha used), as needed
• BBQ sauce, as needed
• Shredded sharp cheddar cheese (low fat Kraft cheddar used)

HOW THIS WAS COOKED?

1. Boil the spaghetti in a large pot halfway and drain the starchy water. 
2. Next, add the chicken stock and bring to boil, cooking the spaghetti completely and retaining about 2 to 2 cups of stock in the pot. 
3. Beat the eggs in a bowl and whisk in Parmesan cheese making a smooth paste.
4. Whisk in the egg and cheese mixture into the spaghetti and stock in the cooking pot while whisking continuously. The stock should be steaming hot so the egg mixture is cooked while whisking. Do not do this on heat though. I like to scramble the egg mixture so after I am done whisking without heat, I whisk on gentle heat until I see egg scrambling!
5. In a skillet, add vegetable/canola oil and heat (medium). 
6. Add fine chopped onions, garlic cloves, red chili flakes, and dried parsley leaves and saute until onions are soft.
7. Add pre-cooked meatballs of your choice.
8. Add sliced, canned mushrooms, green bell peppers, and any other vegetable of choice and continue to saute. Add a generous pinch of salt and Italian seasoning at this point to enhance flavors.
9. Add tomato sauce and cook well until oil separates.
10. Add soy sauce, chili sauce, and BBQ sauce and cook for about a minute.
11. Add water and mix to a smooth sauce consistency.
12. Simmer cook for about ten minutes.
13. Check for salt and adjust according to your taste.

SERVING
I grabbed a pair of tongs and took out a load of spaghetti in the the serving plate. Heat before serving. Pour the meatball sauce with as many meatballs you like on top of the spaghetti. To top it off while still steaming hot, sprinkle shredded, sharp cheddar cheese. I use the low fat cheeses by Kraft. I served this with a side of Garlic bread.