Rocco DiSpirito's 'My Mama's Meatballs' Recipe

Anyone who likes Italian food - and who doesn't? - knows you don't wear your skinny jeans when you're going out to indulge in chicken parm or pasta.

But chef Rocco DiSpirito says you can have your Italian food -- and it it, too.

In his new cookbook, "Now Eat This! Italian," Rocco shows us how to make classic Italian dishes with less than 350 calories.

Find the recipe below:

Ingredients
Olive oil cooking spray
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup chopped onion
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth, such as Swanson's
1½ cups Redpack tomato puree
1½ cups Redpack diced tomatoes
½ medium eggplant, cut in half lengthwise
6 ounces lean ground turkey breast, such as Jennie-O
4 ounces 96% lean ground beef, such as Lauras Lean
2 ounces extra-lean ground pork, such as Farmer John
1 large egg white
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
½ ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
2 cups puffed Kamut cereal, such as Arrowhead Mills
Salt
6 ounces 100% Kamut Intregrale
Spaghetti, such as Alce Nero

Method
1. Preheat the broiler
2. Coat a large skillet with 4 seconds of cooking spray
3. Add half the garlic and half the onion and a pinch of red pepper flakes, place over
4. medium heat, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes
5. Add half the chicken broth, half the tomato puree, and half the diced tomatoes; bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes
6. Place the eggplant cut-side-up on a broiler pan and broil until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes
7. Remove the eggplant from the broiler, place it on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave on high until tender, about 2 minutes. Let cool.
8. Scoop the eggplant pulp out of its skin and let any excess water drip off
9. Measure out ½ cup of the pulp, then chop it fine
10. Combine the turkey, beef, and pork in a large bowl
11. Place the egg white, the remaining chicken broth, remaining onion, remaining garlic, and the parsley in a blender and blend until finely chopped (not pureed), about 30 seconds
12. Add the mixture to the meat; add the Parmigiano and crumble the Kamut cereal in with your fingers
13. Add the eggplant, season with salt and red pepper flakes, and mix gently, using a wooden
14. spoon or your hands until it forms a very thick wet paste
15. Use a tablespoon to measure 16 equal heaping mounds onto a clean work surface and form
16. the mounds into balls with your hands
17. Coat a large nonstick skillet with 4 seconds of cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat
18. Add half of the meatballs and cook until lightly browned on one side, about 1 minute
19. Roll the meatballs and brown on the other side, about 2 minutes
20. Remove the browned meatballs from the pan and gently place in the tomato sauce; coat the pan with another 4 seconds of cooking spray, and brown the rest of the meatballs
21. Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook at a low simmer for 1 hour
22. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Drop the spaghetti in the water
23. and cook according to the package instructions
24. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water
25. Place 4 meatballs on each of 4 plates, then add the spaghetti to the remaining sauce in the pan along with ½ cup of the pasta water; cook until the sauce holds well on the pasta
26. Divide the spaghetti among the plates