Spaghetti with Bison Meatballs

Ingredients

• 5 green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh oregano
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 ½ pounds 7% ground bison meat
• 1 egg
• 1 slice bread, torn into pieces
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon red wine
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 (6 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce with mushrooms (such as Hunt's®)
• 1 (16 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 (13.25 ounce) package whole grain spaghetti (such as Barilla®)
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Step 1

Mix the green onions, parsley, oregano, and basil together in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the bison with half of that green onion mixture, then add the egg, bread, salt, and Worcestershire sauce. Give everything a good mix until it’s well combined.

Step 2

Shape the mixture into eight meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches wide. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, place the meatballs in, and pour in the red wine. Cover and let them cook for about 8 minutes. Flip the meatballs, cover again, and cook for another 8 minutes until they’re cooked through—you’re looking for an internal temperature of 160°F.

Step 3

While the meatballs are cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Toss in the rest of the green onion mixture, along with the onion, mushrooms, and a teaspoon of salt. Sauté everything until the onions turn translucent, which should take around 10 minutes. Then, add the spaghetti sauce and stewed tomatoes and bring the sauce to a boil.

Step 4

At the same time, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until it’s just tender but still firm when you bite it, about 7 to 9 minutes. Drain the pasta well.

Step 5

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Serve the sauce over the spaghetti, top with the meatballs, and sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese before digging in.