Low carb Spaghetti and Meatballs : Healthy Grain-free Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Diet Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Calorie
Keyword low carb meatballs, zoodles and meatballs
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Total Time 2 hourshours
Servings 6servings
Calories 199kcal
Author Robin Gagnon
Ingredients
1small head of cauliflowerbreadcrumb substitute
1sweet onionpeeled and diced
1tbsolive oil1 teaspoon + 2 tsp
1cloveof garlicminced
1poundlean ground turkeyI used 99% lean, feel free to substitute any lean ground meat you prefer
1egg white
1tbschopped fresh basil
½teaspoonKosher or Sea salt
½teaspoonsalt free seasoning of choice
1jarMarinara (5 net grams carb maximum), I used Mezzetta Napa Valley Homemade Marinara sauce
4-6zucchini squash
Instructions
Making "Breadcrumbs"
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Cut off cauliflower florets, and pulse in food processor until broken into small crumb-like pieces.
Spread on baking sheets and bake for 40 minutes-an hour. Toss around in sheet pan frequently so "crumbs" dry and roast evenly. When done they will be like slightly damp bread crumbs and lightly browned.
Making Meatballs
Lightly saute onion and garlic in 1 teaspoon of olive oil, then place in large mixing bowl.
Add the cauliflower "breadcrumbs", ground turkey, egg white, basil, salt, and seasoning. Mix with your hands until well blended.
Form 18 meatballs, just a little smaller than a golf ball. Put remaining 2 tbs oil in 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Drop meatballs into hot skillet and flip after lightly browned on one side. Turn until majority of meatball surface is lightly browned, yet center is not cooked.
Tilt pan to pool oil. Use a paper towel to soak up pooled oil.
Add a jar of Mezzetta Napa Valley Homemade Marinara sauce and ¼ cup water. Spoon sauce over any uncovered portion of meatballs. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes.
Use spiralizer to make zucchini noodles. Remove meatballs from pan leaving most of the sauce in pan. Put the zucchini noodles in pan and increase heat to medium high. Stir noodles to coat with sauce and ensure even cooking. They should be done in about 6 minutes* (cooked, but not mushy).
Serve with meatballs.
Notes
volume of zucchini noodles in pan will reduce by about half.
Select a low sodium sauce to lower the high sodium content listed in the nutrition info. The software calculates based on standard sauce. As you can see in images I made this very "saucy" it can easily be reduced by a ¼ or a ⅓ with good results.
Nutritional information is an estimate. Numbers will vary by portion size, brands etc. T