Meatball Marinara
Everybody loves Meatball Marinara! Our take on the rich, indulgent-tasting Italian classic is loaded with all the flavours you’d expect from restaurant versions, for a fraction of the calories. You’ll love it even more served on a fork-twirling bed of spaghetti…
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories423
- Carbs24g
- Protein38g
- Fat17g
- Saturates7.5g
- Sugars14g
Your dishes
You’re amazing, look at the Meatball Marinara dishes you’ve made…
For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!
Marinara sauce is an Italian recipe made with tomatoes, garlic, herbs and onions. Like many traditional Italian dishes, there are many variations, but our version is packed full of tasty veggies…so it’s delicious, filling and slimming friendly!
While we used shop-bought, lower-fat meatballs for this Meatball Marinara recipe, you can make your own from scratch using 5% minced beef.
We like to use good-quality chopped tomatoes because we’ve found that some cheaper brands can be watery and less flavoursome. If you are going to make a traditional Italian dish, you can’t beat proper Italian tomatoes.
What diets is this Meatball Marinara suitable for?
This Meatball Marinara recipe is suitable for a dairy-free diet.
It can be made gluten-free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for gluten-free versions;
- Vegetable stock cube
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
Do you need any special ingredients to make this Meatball Marinara recipe?
This recipe does not require any special ingredients.
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‘Pure comfort food’
How many calories are in this Meatball Marinara recipe?
There are 423 calories per portion in this Meatball Marinara, which means it falls into our Special Occasion category.
This Meatball Marinara recipe is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Spray a frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and set on a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 4-5 minutes until starting to soften.
Step 2
Add the meatballs, carrot and celery and continue to fry for 4-5 minutes, until the meatballs are browned.
Step 3
Add the courgettes and mushrooms, and allow to cook for a few minutes.
Step 4
Add the mixed herbs, basil, tomato purée and chopped tomatoes. Stir well.
Step 5
Mix the stock cube with the water and pour into the pan. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the meatballs are cooked through.
Step 6
Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve with your choice of accompaniment.
What can I serve with this Meatball Marinara recipe?
You can put on a gorgeous, Italian-inspired spread with this Meatball Marinara at the centre. It’s 597 calories in total, when served with 50g of dry pasta.
How do you know when this Meatball Marinara recipe is cooked?
You should cook this Meatball Marinara until it has a thick and rich sauce. This will take around 20 minutes.
How long can you keep this Meatball Marinara in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.
If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of this Meatball Marinara in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
Can I freeze this Meatball Marinara recipe?
Yes, you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat this Meatball Marinara?
From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with a loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.
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Meatball Marinara
Everybody loves Meatball Marinara! Our slimming-friendly take on the rich, indulgent-tasting Italian classic is just as flavourful.
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Prep Time
10 MINS
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Cook Time
20 MINS
- KCals 423
- Carbs 24G
Instructions
- Spray a frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and set on a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 4-5 minutes until starting to soften.
- Add the meatballs, carrot and celery and continue to fry for 4-5 minutes, until the meatballs are browned.
- Add the courgettes and mushrooms, and allow to cook for a few minutes.
- Add the mixed herbs, basil, tomato purée and chopped tomatoes. Stir well.
- Mix the stock cube with the water and pour into the pan. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the meatballs are cooked through.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve with your choice of accompaniment.
Looking for Slimming World Syns or Weight Watchers (WW) Points?
With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.
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We agreed with Slimming World to remove their trademarked terms from our website
If you’ve made Meatball Marinara and love it, let us know by sharing a photo and tagging us on Instagram or in our Facebook group!
4 comments
See what others have to say
Jessica gibsonMonday 19th April 2021
Can I slow cook this recipe ? Thanks
HollyWednesday 21st April 2021
Hey Jessica, we haven’t tried this recipe in a slow cooker but if you have a look HERE you will find some information on converting recipes for the slow cooker, hope that helps!
Katie clarkeWednesday 7th August 2019
I always change stock I just use what ever stock I’ve got in then cupboard 🙂
SARAH-JANE WebbMonday 17th December 2018
Could I use beef stock cube instead of veg stock? As thinking of making it in the next couple of days and have already been shopping and have no veg stock at home? Thanks
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