Considering that this dish is the Holy Grail of Mama’s cooking, I truly debated whether or not to mess with it. It took six attempts to make over this dish, but I finally figured the low-cal version out—and Mama loved it!

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　1 small eggplant

　　2 cups Rocco’s How Low Can You Go Low-Fat Marinara Sauce (page 206) or store-bought low-fat marinara sauce

　　2 tablespoons low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth

　　1/4 small yellow onion

　　1 garlic clove

　　1 large egg white

　　12 ounces lean ground turkey breast

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

　　6 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　6 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti

　　

Step 1

Place the eggplant on the grate of a gas burner over a high flame. Char the eggplant, turning it every few minutes, until the skin is blackened and the flesh is cooked through; this should take about 12 minutes. (Alternatively, you can char the eggplant on a barbecue grill, on a grill pan, or on a baking sheet under the broiler of a gas or electric oven.) Allow the eggplant to cool slightly, and then cut it in half. Scrape out the flesh, being careful not to incorporate the blackened skin. Measure out 1/4 cup of the flesh; reserve the remaining eggplant for another use.

　　

Step 2

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pot, heat the marinara sauce over medium heat.

　　

Step 3

In a blender, combine the chicken broth, onions, garlic, cooked eggplant, and egg white. Puree until the mixture is smooth. In a large bowl, combine the pureed mixture with the ground turkey, parsley, and 2 tablespoons of the cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal portions, a little over 2 ounces each.

　　

Step 4

When the marinara sauce comes to a simmer, roll each portion of the meatball mixture with the palms of your hands to form a ball, and gently drop the meatballs, one by one, into the hot marinara sauce. Shake the pan gently to coat the meatballs with sauce. Cover the pan, and when the sauce begins to simmer, reduce the heat to low. Simmer the meatballs for 12 minutes. Gently turn each meatball over in the marinara sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes.

　　

Step 5

While the meatballs are cooking, cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package directions, about 10 minutes; drain.

　　

Step 6

Divide the spaghetti among 4 plates, and top each plate of pasta with 2 meatballs and some sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 4 tablespoons cheese on top, and serve.

　　

nutrition information

Step 7

Fat: 91g (before), 4.4g (after)

　　

Step 8

Calories: 1,500 (before), 337 (after)

　　

Step 9

Protein: 32g

　　

Step 10

Carbohydrates: 43g

　　

Step 11

Cholesterol: 49mg

　　

Step 12

Fiber: 5g

　　

Step 13

Sodium: 487mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.