Meatballs and Spaghetti
This Meatballs and Spaghetti recipe is egg and gluten-free, grain-free, and suitable for paleo diets and low carb options.
Ingredients:
- 500g mince (ideally grass-fed, and not too lean or your meatballs will be tougher)
- 1 large carrot, grated,
- 1 large zucchini, grated
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Olive oil
- 500ml simple tomato and basil style pasta sauce (homemade or commercial, your choice)
- ½ cup chicken stock
To serve:
- 1 packet Barilla GF spaghetti (cooked to packet instructions), zoodles or steamed vegetables
- Extra fresh basil leaves, dried chilli flakes and grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Method:
- Grab a handful of the grated carrot and zucchini and squeeze it to remove any extra moisture. Pop into a medium sized mixing bowl and repeat until you have removed any excess water out of all the carrot and zucchini.
- Add the mince, oregano, salt and pepper and use your hands to combine well, squeezing it together to help with binding.
- Roll tablespoon-size doughnuts of the mince mixture into small balls and set aside, repeating until you have rolled all the mince into meatballs
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frypan over medium heat. Once hot, add your meatballs, spreading them out so they don’t touch. Turn the meatballs occasionally to brown them evenly and cook them almost the whole way through.
- Pop on a plate and set aside once done. They should take around 7-10 minutes
- In the same frypan, you cooked the meatballs in, heat the tomato pasta sauce and the chicken stock. Simmer until it thickens slightly, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add your meatballs to the gently simmering sauce to heat through again and finish the cooking process.
- Serve with cooked pasta, zoodles or steamed vegetables of your choice.
- Top with extra basil, chilli flakes and parmesan cheese if using and enjoy.
Extra tips and notes:
- To make low carb serve on top of steamed vegetables or with zoodles instead of spaghetti
- To add extra iron, vitamin d, Vitamin A add a little finely chopped liver into your meatballs
- Some dulse flakes will add iodine and other trace nutrients often low in our diets. Try ½ a teaspoon to start
- Feel free combine in some pork mince, to add onion or garlic powder, a little ground nutmeg or even some parmesan cheese (though I’d then reduce the salt). Lots of options and variations depending on your tastebuds and your dietary preferences
- Expect them to be a little denser than the traditional ones made with breadcrumbs (milk soaked or plain) and eggs.
Recipe courtesy of Sandi Cooper Naturopathy.