Asian Meatball Pasta with Lime Sauce

Asian Meatball Pasta with Lime Sauce
Adapted from a Gina's Weight Watcher Recipe
Makes 4 Servings

1/4 cup panko crumbs
1 pound 96/4 ground beef
1 egg
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions, chopped
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil

Dipping Sauce
4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp water
1 chopped green onion
Other: 8 oz. long pasta; green onion (garnish)

Preheat oven to 500°F. Mix beef, panko, egg, salt, scallions, cilantro, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tsp oil and mix with your hands until combined well. Shape 1/4 cup meat mixture into a ball and transfer to a baking dish. Repeat until you have 12 same-sized meatballs. Bake in a deep cooking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray until cooked through, 15 minutes. While meatballs bake, cook pasta per package instructions. Also, mix together sauce. Remove meatballs from oven. Drain pasta and add back to pot over medium heat. Toss with sauce. Divide pasta into 4 servings. Top with meatballs. Garnish with green onion if desired.

Nutritional Information: 451 calories, 46 carbs, 12 fat grams and 37 protein grams.

Review: The meatballs were awesome - they seemed bad for you because of the oil, and really heated up quick, maybe could have even done 12 minutes! Gina (original recipe) used them as apps and dipped in the sauce, but I liked the idea of using that sauce to coat pasta and making it a main dish rather than app. The sauce had a great flavor - next time I may even add some lime zest to give it even more of a kick, or maybe some red pepper flakes. I would also consider doing 16 so each serving would have 4 (but definitely cut the cooking time down). Anywho, just some thoughts - we were happy with it and I LOVE that i've found another Asian-inspired keeper!