Low carb Spaghetti and Meatballs : Healthy Grain-free Recipe

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Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Diet Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Calorie

Keyword low carb meatballs, zoodles and meatballs

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 2

Servings servings

Calories 199kcal

Author Robin Gagnon

1 small head of cauliflower breadcrumb substitute
1 sweet onion peeled and diced
1 tbs olive oil 1 teaspoon + 2 tsp
1 clove of garlic minced
1 pound lean ground turkey I used 99% lean, feel free to substitute any lean ground meat you prefer
1 egg white
1 tbs chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon Kosher or Sea salt
½ teaspoon salt free seasoning of choice
1 jar Marinara (5 net grams carb maximum) , I used Mezzetta Napa Valley Homemade Marinara sauce
4-6 zucchini squash

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.

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.

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