Week Night Dinner with Dei Fratelli Traditional Flavor Pasta Sauce

Let's face it. Working full time and preparing dinner every night isn't easy.  We need to give ourselves permission to take some shortcuts.  As long as the dinner is nutritious and healthy that's what really matters.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I don't always make my own homemade sauce for pasta.  Yes.  More times than not I reach for the jar!

The great folks at Dei Fratelli recently sent me some of their all natural tomato products to review.  I was familiar with the Dei Fratelli brand, because at a recent Sweeties Review Party I was able to sample some of their delicious salsas. In this shipment I received three pasta sauces and one jar of salsa.

Each container was packed well, doubly protected in bubble wrap and the carton was also full of biodegradable packing. So important with anything that gets shipped! This box was definitely packed with care!

Although their website contains lots of great recipes - for our first review, we went with one of our own recipes and decided to make Spaghetti and Super-Duper Meatballs using our tried and true recipe for meatballs.

We decided to pair them with the the Dei Fratelli Traditional Pasta Sauce.

You can make this recipe easily enough too, with items you probably have in your pantry and fridge.  No need to go on a special shopping trip!

You'll need

1 jar of Dei Fratelli Traditional Pasta Sauce
1 package of spaghetti

For the Super-Duper Meatballs

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup of Italian flavored breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1/8 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or fresh garlic to taste)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 or 2 Campari tomatoes coarsely chopped

This recipe makes 12 medium size meatballs. 

And the secret to my super-duper meatball recipe is that I par bake them in the oven to release some of the fat from the meat. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  I usually line the pan with parchment paper - makes for easy clean up later!

While the meatballs bake, put the Dei Fratelli sauce on to simmer.  Remember you should never add anything hot to something cold, or vice versa.

See how much fat is released in this process!

Then, add the meatballs to the sauce and let simmer while the the water for the pasta boils. Note: Dei Fratelli sauce is thick.  If you like your sauce thinner you can add some beef, chicken, or vegetable stock, or, a little water. We did not as we like our sauce thick!

Because we didn't add any salt to the meatballs, we have no guilt adding plenty of salt to the pasta water.  I'm not sure if it's true or not, but my mother used to tell me salty water takes longer to boil, so add the salt just prior to adding the pasta.

When the pasta is done to your liking (we prefer al dente), strain and serve it on a pretty platter, garnished with some fresh parsley and shredded Parmesan cheese.

This meal would pair nicely with a fresh green salad, or a side of some grilled zucchini and squash.

And we LOVED the Dei Fratelli Traditional flavor pasta sauce!  It was thick and hearty, and had a robustly fresh tomato flavor.  Best of all, it's all natural without any crazy preservatives!

Hearty and HEALTHY - you can't beat that!

Sauce Ingredients: Crushed Tomatoes, Onions, Sugar, Sea Salt, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Oregano, Romano Cheese (Cow''s Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes), Garlic, Basil, Spices. Contains Milk.

Look for Dei Fratelli pasta sauce in your local supermarket or grocery aisle - or you can even order it online HERE! 

They have several gift baskets available for the "tomato-lovers" in your life, or you can simply order a jar of their wonderful pasta sauce or salsa for yourself! Go ahead, you deserve it, treat yourself!

I can't wait to try the other Dei Fratelli pasta sauce flavors!  And the yummy salsa!

Disclaimer: The Dei Fratelli Traditional Flavor Pasta Sauce was provided for me to review, however all opinions expressed are my own..