Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Meatballs with Angel Hair Pasta

1 lb ground beef

½ onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp cottage cheese
1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp grated provolone cheese
1 Tbsp grated mozzarella cheese
½ cup of frozen spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out
1 egg
S&P, to taste
1 package of angel hair pasta or spaghetti
1 jar of pasta sauce (I used one that also has spinach in it)

In a small mixing bowl, blend all the cheese, spinach and egg together; mix well and set aside.

In another mixing bowl, add beef, onion, garlic, S&P; mix well. With your hands, create balls from the beef mixture. Make a hole in the middle of each ball, stuff with cheese mixture and seal close by rolling between your palms.

In a medium sauce pan, heat EVOO to medium high heat. Sear all sides of the meatballs to brown. Turn heat to low, add pasta sauce over meatballs, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain.

Toss pasta with sauce, top with meatballs and sprinkle with extra parmesan cheese.

Note: I found it works best to not move the meatballs around more than necessary after they are browned, otherwise the cheese finds a way to escape and melts out from the centers. Once I pour the sauce over the meatballs, I stir the sauce around the meatballs, but I don’t turn them. The heat from the covered pan and from the sauce will cook the meatballs all the way through.