Satisfy your cravings for Italian comfort food with our mouth-watering keto spaghetti and meatballs
If you're looking for a keto-friendly dish that's packed with flavor, our spaghetti and meatballs recipe is the answer! These mouth-watering meatballs are seasoned to perfection and cooked just right until juicy and tender while the konjac or zucchini noodles soak up all the delicious tomato sauce for a truly comforting meal.
Meatball Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (preferably grass-fed)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 tablespoons avocado oil or other high-heat oil
1/2 cup almond flour or keto bread crumbs (optional) - To help with firmness
Tomato Sauce Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
Spaghetti Ingredients:
Shirataki (Konjac) or zucchini noodles
Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, Parmesan cheese, egg, dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix everything together until it is well combined. If using the almond flour or keto bread crumbs, include it in this mix as well.
Using a cookie scoop or your hands, form the mixture into approximately 1-inch meatballs.
Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat and add enough avocado oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs to the pan, making sure not to overcrowd it. Cook the meatballs for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until they are cooked through and browned on the outside.
Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside on some paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the onion softened and beginning to become translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for about a minute longer until fragrant.
Add the crushed tomatoes, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper to the pan and stir everything together until it is well combined.
Let the tomato sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until it has thickened slightly. Remove bay leaf. Tip: If using konjac noodles, use the time while the sauce simmers to drain and rinse the noodles. Lemon juice also helps remove some of the alkaline smell. You can then fry them in a pan with just a touch of butter until they squeak when you squish them to help give them a better texture.
Add the noodles to the pan and toss them in the tomato sauce until they are coated and cooked to your liking.
Add the meatballs back to the pan and toss them in the sauce until they are coated.
Serve the spaghetti and meatballs hot, garnished with fresh herbs and additional grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Store any leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
This recipe brings so much comfort and just hits the spot in hitting that craving for your traditional spaghetti and meatballs. You can even make your own garlic bread if you've got a keto or low carb bread! It's also quick enough that it can be made on a weeknight, or saved for nice weekend meal with the family. Let us know what you thought of the recipe in the comments below, including any changes you made to make it your own.
A little more on konjac noodles:
If you're looking for a low-carb and low-calorie alternative to traditional pasta, you might want to try konjac noodles. Some popular brands include NuPasta, Miracle Noodle, Better Than Noodles, and Zeeroodle Livia. These noodles are all made from konjac flour, a fiber-rich flour that comes from the root of the konjac plant. They have a fairly similar texture to traditional pasta but are much lower in carbs and calories, making them a great choice for anyone following a keto diet. You can find these noodles online or at your local health food store. Give them a try and let us know what you think in the comments below.
Links to buy from Amazon are above, but you can read more from the brands themselves on their sites below:
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