Welcome back to Flawed yet Functional! I’m Emily, a Type 1 Diabetic managing my blood sugar through the Autoimmune Protocol and healthy habits. Today I have to share a comfort food remake of good old spaghetti and meatballs. The recipes lately have been a bit nightshade-heavy…sorry! You could say I’ve been enjoyed putting them back in my diet…just a bit. 😉 Paleo spaghetti and meatballs will leave you satisfied and not a bit weighed down by carbs. Try it today!
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The Sauce
Great sauce makes or breaks any pasta dish. The basics of this bolognese recipe is from my sister-in-law who is part Italian (Thanks, Andrea!). The recipe was handed down from her grandma to her mom verbally with only approximations for measurements. So it’s legit stuff, and by far, the best I’ve ever had.
As with most tomato-base sauces, time is a key ingredinet. The sauce is fairly quick to throw together, but don’t let the simplicity of it make you skip the simmer time. The flavors need that soft heat to meld and do delicious things. Don’t skip the simmer time!
Meat is probably my family’s favorite thing to eat, so not only is the sauce a bolognese (meaning it has meat in the sauce), I threw in meatballs too! What’s better than meat? More meat! However, you can make this as a meatless marinara sauce, and it will be lovely too!
[thrive_leads id=’7546′]The Meatballs
Most meatball recipes use egg as a binder. My current diet is AIP plus several reintroductions. Nightshades were a success but eggs were not. (So sad!) I’ve made several types of meatballs with varying degrees of success until these. These were awesome!
The key to soft, tender, and egg-less meatballs is water (or really any additional liquid). Once you’ve got all the seasoning with the meat, add a quarter cup of water (possibly more). The water emulsifies the meat making it sticky. The meatballs will hold together better and the cooked texture will be tender. What a simple solution!
The Base
Gluten is the biggest trigger of autoimmune disease (Emily’s facts, not scientific data…yet!), so I’m not cooking pasta as the base for my beautiful meatballs and sauce. Gluten-free pasta is also a no-go because it usually has other grains in it, and it is very high in carbs.
What should you use instead? Spaghetti squash! Here’s why:
- The cooked squash has the look and feel of angel hair pasta.
- Spaghetti squash is very mild in flavor so it doesn’t detract from the sauce.
However, I branched out this week and tried two new bases: zucchini noodles and sweet potato noodles. There’s a new toy
Sometimes I’m just craving warm, hearty dishes that fill you up, provide a BUNCH of leftovers, and remind me of my childhood. 🙂 Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs fulfills all those requirements! Try it tonight!
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The Best Paleo “Spaghetti” and Meatballs
Are you ready for the most delicious meatball and tomato sauce you’ve ever tasted? Perfectly seasoned, low(ish)-carb and absolutely satisfying, you will love this Paleo, gluten-free version of “spaghetti” and meatballs!
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef 20% fat, if possible
- 1 large onion chopped
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Tbsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 28 oz. tomato sauce
- 12 oz. tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 46 oz. tomato juice
- 13.75 oz. crushed tomatoes
Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground beef 20% fat, if possible
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 2 tsp. dried basil
- 1.5 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 2 Tbsp. coconut flour
- 2 tsp. sea salt more to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 gelatin egg 1 Tbs. gelatin + 3 Tbs. water
- 1/4 cups water
Base
- 1 large spaghetti squash
- 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Sauce
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Heat a 7-8 quart dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan then ground beef. Cook until browned.
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Push meat to the sides of the pan and add the onion to the middle. Cook until releasing juices and beginning to soften and brown.
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Bloom fresh garlic and all dried spices in the cooked onion. This means toss the garlic and dried spices in all at the same time, stir and cook for 30-45 seconds or until fragrant.
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Add all liquid ingredients to the pan and stir to thoroughly mix. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low so all bubbling stops. Cook at a low temp, just under a simmer, for 2-3 hours. After an hour of cooking, taste for seasoning and adjust.
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Begin the rest of the instructions 1 hour before mealtime.
Base
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Preheat oven to 450° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Using a very sharp knife, cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out seeds and membrane.
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Pour olive oil over the cut halves of the squash then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use your hands or a pastry brush to spread out over the flesh of the squash.
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Place cut side down on the baking sheet and roast until completely soft, 30-45 minutes.
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Once cooked, allow to cool on the counter then use a fork to shred into noodle-like filaments.
Meatballs
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Once the squash is in the oven, begin mixing the meatballs.
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Using a large mixing bowl, add ground beef, pork, and dried seasoning (basil, oregano, garlic, onion, coconut flour, water, and salt & pepper). Whisk together the water and gelatin, pour over meat and seasoning, add the additional 1/4 cup water then mix meat mixture with hands immediately.
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Use a medium size cookie/ice cream scoop to portion the meat into even sized meatballs.
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Drop meatballs into the sauce when about 30 minutes until mealtime. Cover all meatballs in sauce, raise heat to a simmer then cook until the internal temperature read with an instant-read thermometer reaches 165°, about 20-30 minutes.
Serve shredded spaghetti squash covered in delicious meatball bolognese sauce! Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
The sauce will make about 20 servings. One large spaghetti squash has about 6 servings. I usually make fresh vegetable noodles when I reheat the sauce. Spaghetti squash, sweet potato, zucchini, and butternut squash noodles are all good options!
One serving with spaghetti squash as the base contains 20 grams of carbohydrate, 17 net carbs.
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I made this last night and it is delicious! Just wondering what is considered one serving for the nutritional information? Is that 2 prepared chicken breasts?