Spaghetti with Meatballs or a Tomato-Based Meat Sauce

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I don’t know what it is about spaghetti or maybe any Italian food, but it has this comforting quality. Maybe it’s the tomato-based sauce mixed with a layer of cheese; the texture of the noodles; or a combination of noodles and a light cream sauce, as used in a fettuccine. But, any way you serve it up, it has a high likelihood of hitting the spot. And, if it can be made in 30 minutes or less, I’d say it’s a huge winner in my book! It’s almost as good as those last few pieces of cold keto pizza waiting for you in the fridge! 🙂 I love the days I don’t have to cook. And, I am so going to experiment with making a chicken tequila fettuccine recipe soon!

Meatballs are another story. While I do enjoy a spaghetti with just tomato-based meat sauce; it might just be that meatballs provide something a little different? Would it be safe to assume those who like a good meatloaf, feel the same about meatballs?! All in all, I don’t think anyone can go wrong with these tasty balls of seasoned meat.

Keto Noodle Substitutions
On keto, however, I think we all can agree that our noodles options are just as important as the meat portion of our meal. Do you have a preferred noodle alternative you like to use in your keto dishes?

In my cooking, I tend to almost entirely use shirataki noodles over spiralized noodles. That could be due to the texture and taste of veggie noodles. Shirataki noodles are almost always zero net carbs, depending on the brand you buy, and easily found nearly everywhere nowadays. There’s also less clean up with shirataki noodles. On top of cleaning for every meal, cleaning my spiralizer is just one gadget I’m not super fond of cleaning. However, if you do use zoodles (zucchini noodles) as your base, what is nice about them is that you can serve it uncooked, and just pour your meat sauce over it.

In this recipe, I use a combination of shirataki and Palmini noodles. Palmini noodles are made from sustainably-sourced hearts of palm. They are also fully cooked, non-GMO, and free of added sugar. However, I do suggest one tip when using them. Cook Palmini noodles for 10-15 minutes to provide a softer texture, and reduce the slight aftertaste of these canned (or pouched) noodles.

If you get a chance to use this recipe, please share a comment or review below, or by tagging a photo of your meal with my Instagram page @ketoliciouseats. As always, I appreciate your support!

Keto Spaghetti with Meatballs or a Tomato-Based Meat Sauce

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Recipe by J. Irish, Ketolicious Eats Course: DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Try my homemade recipe for keto spaghetti, using organic grass-fed ground beef and a combination of shirataki and Palmini (linguine) noodles.

Macros per serving: 369 calories | 13.6g net carbs | 29g protein | 18.5g fat

These macros include the homemade meatballs, 14 ounces of shirataki noodles, 14 ounces of Palmini noodles, two Roma tomatoes, and the remaining necessary ingredients. To reduce the net carbs, use less tomato puree and use the shirataki noodles entirely in this recipe. Using the shirataki noodles alone will reduce the net carbs to 11g per serving and protein to 26.7g per serving.

ingredients

• Meat Needed for Meatballs or Tomato-Based Meat Sauce

• 1 pound 1 grass-fed ground beef or free-range turkey; OR

• 14 ounces 14 The Butcher Shop frozen, fully-cooked organic grass-fed meatballs, 14 oz bag, (sold at Sprouts Farmers Market in Southern California) or likely sold under another private label in other grocery stores.

• If Making Homemade Meatballs, Add:

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon 1 minced garlic, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 paprika

• 1 large 1 organic pasture-raised egg

• Tomato-Based Meat Sauce

• 2-3 medium to large 2-3 Roma tomatoes, remove ends and cut into 1″ pieces

• 3/4 (or 18 oz) of a 24 ounce jar 3/4 (or 18 oz) of a tomato puree/strained tomatoes or ‘passata, without added sugar’–I typically buy mine through online grocer Thrive Market (or Sprouts Farmers Market in Southern California). If you don’t have a membership, use this special link to get up to $20 shopping credit as a new member.

• 1/2 medium 1/2 organic onion

• 2 teaspoons 2 organic minced garlic

• 2 tablespoons 2 Italian seasoning, or 1-1/2 teaspoon dried parsley; 1-1/2 teaspoon dried basil; and 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon 1 ground black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 Himalayan pink salt

• 1/2-1 teaspoon 1/2-1 red chili flakes

• 4 medium 4 mushrooms, or 1 tsp Om Reishi mushroom powder (for additional immunity support)

• 1/2 medium 1/2 red bell pepper

• 1/2 bunch 1/2 organic fresh basil, chopped (optional)–omit using dried basil above if using fresh basil

• raw Parmigiano Reggiano Parmesan cheese, grated, for topping (optional)–I like the block type found at Trader Joe’s, which is imported from Italy.

• Grain- & Gluten-Free Noodle Options

• 14-28 ounces 14-28 shirataki spaghetti noodles purchased from online supplier Thrive Market; use this special link to get up to $20 shopping credit as a new member (0 net carbs per serving or one bag); OR

• 14-28 ounces 14-28 Palmini linguine noodles made from sustainable non-GMO hearts of palm (2 net carbs per serving; three servings per 14 ounce can)

• 2 to 3 small to medium 2 to 3 zucchini squash, spiralized (optional)

Directions

• Prepare the Noodles
• Prepare your noodles as instructed on the packaging, and then set aside. If you’re using the pre-cooked Palmini noodles, I suggest adding them to boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. Then rinse, and set aside.
• Make Meatballs (Optional)
• Leave the package of meat sit out for about 30 minutes after removing it from the refrigerator. This will allow the meat the meat to warm up slightly so it won’t be super cold on the hands when handling in the next step.
• Add the meat to a a medium mixing bowl, along with the spices and egg. Combine with your hands until ingredients are well mixed.
• Then form into 1-1/2″ balls and set aside.
• In a medium skillet or a 6-quart pot that you’ll cook the bulk of your meat sauce in, add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil and add the meatballs. Sauté the outside of the meatballs on medium heat. until nicely browned. This should take about 15 minutes. Then remove from heat, and set aside.
• Make the Meat Sauce (with or without Meatballs)
• If not making meatballs, add the meat, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, and onions to a medium skillet or in a 6-quart pot that you’ll use to cook the bulk of your meat sauce. (I typically use the latter so I can use any of the caked on sautéed bits stuck to the bottom of pan, which will add more flavor to your sauce.) Cook on medium or medium-low heat, stirring fairly often to break up any larger chunks of meat, and allowing the onions to become lightly browned. When the meat and onions are done, about 10 to 15 minutes, set aside. Draining the fat is not needed when using clean, grass-fed meat.
• Now, in your 6-quart pot, add (the meat balls, if you didn’t cook them in this same pot already), diced tomatoes, red bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, and remaining spices. Begin cooking these on medium heat until you see the tomatoes cook down to a soft texture. Then you can turn the heat down to medium low until everything is cooked evenly.
• When the sauce is all warmed up (I can usually smell the aroma of the sauce at this point), you can turn down the heat to low or turn off the stovetop.
• Then all that’s left is serving your meal with the noodles and sauce! Adding parmesan cheese and any additional garnishes, such as fresh oregano, basil or olive oil is up to you!

Notes

• Time-saving tip: If making your own meatballs, prepare them the night before and then either freeze them or add them when you’re ready to begin cooking your pasta sauce.
• I recommend using clean, organic ingredients whenever possible.

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