Skillet Meatballs and Marinara
Skillet Meatballs and Marinara deliver 27g protein and 688 calories per serving, combining red sauce convenience with beef-based amino acids. Six servings prep simultaneously, letting you batch this Italian staple once weekly and portion across multiple meals. Works for both cutting and bulking macros depending on your daily targets and serving size.
Ingredients
- •Italian Pork Sausage(454g)
- •Bread Crumbs, Dry, Plain(240g)
- •Egg, Whole, Large
- •Yellow Onion
- •Olive oil(15g)
Regular (not extra-virgin) olive oil for high-heat cooking. EVOO for dressings.
- •Yellow Onion
- •Garlic(120g)
- •Tomato, Canned, Crushed(794g)
- •Oregano, Dried(3g)
- •1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.05)
- •1/2 tsp salt ($0.03)
- •Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.05)
- •Brown sugar(5g)
- •Tomato Paste(15g)
- •Pasta, White, Dry (Unspecified Type)(340g)
Instructions
- 1To make the meatballs, squeeze the Italian sausage out of the casing and into a large bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, egg, and diced onion. Using your hands, mix the ingredients until combined. Form the mixture into about 24 ping pong ball sized balls.
- 2Heat a large skillet over medium flame. Add the olive oil and tilt the skillet to coat. Add the meatballs and cook until browned on the outside (a couple minutes on each side). Work in two batches if needed to give the meatballs room to movel around. Once the meatballs are browned, remove them from the skillet to a clean plate.
- 3Add the second half of the diced onion to the skillet, along with two cloves of minced garlic. Sauté in the leftover oil and fat from the meatballs until soft and transparent. Once soft, add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and tomato paste. Stir until the tomato paste mixes into the crushed tomatoes.
- 4Add the meatballs back to the skillet and gently stir to coat them in sauce. Place a lid on the skillet and let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for 15 minutes. Cook the pasta while the meatballs simmer.
- 5Drain the pasta and serve each bowl with pasta, four meatballs, and a scoop of sauce.
Nutrition — Per Serving
688
calories
27g
protein
24g
fat
- Carbohydrates
- 91g
- Saturated fat
- 7.6g
- Sodium
- 974 mg
- Dietary fiber
- 6.9g
6 servings per batch · ~331g each
Macro data sourced from USDA FoodData Central
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How much protein does Skillet Meatballs and Marinara have per serving?
Each serving contains 27g of protein and 688 calories with 24g fat and 91g carbs. The high carbohydrate content comes from the marinara sauce and suggests this is a post-workout focused meal.
How long does Skillet Meatballs and Marinara take to prep?
Quick prep on the stovetop yields 6 servings per batch, making this an efficient option for prepping multiple dinners at once. You can batch the entire week's worth of this recipe in one session.
Is Skillet Meatballs and Marinara good for muscle gain?
At 27g protein and 688 calories per serving with 91g carbs, this recipe is structured for muscle gain phases where elevated carbohydrate intake supports training volume and recovery. The carbohydrate-to-protein ratio makes it ideal for post-workout meals.
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