These paleo spaghetti and meatballs are next level. Tender meatballs are met with a homemade tomato sauce loaded with flavor and fresh herbs! This is my all-time favorite Sunday dinner, you can’t beat this healthier recipe.
I was pretty much raised on spaghetti and meatballs. To this day, it is my all-time favorite meal. I was a little spoiled growing up, both my Mom and Nonna made their meatballs from scratch. I have one especially vivid memory of helping my Nonna roll meatballs at the kitchen table. With these incredible spaghetti and meatball memories sitting in the back of my mind since I launched this blog, I knew I needed to create a dairy-free and gluten-free meatball recipe ASAP. And then I figured, while I’m at it, might as well make ’em paleo. So that’s exactly what I did!
What You Need To Make Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ground Beef and Ground Pork – A 1:1 ratio of these meats yield the world’s most perfectly tender and moist (sorry!) meatballs. I’ve tried them with just ground beef and let me assure you, they are not the same.
Dairy-Free Milk – I recommend almond, cashew, or soy milk here! If you’re not dairy-free, feel free to use just regular ole’ milk instead.
Almond Flour – This takes the place of breadcrumbs in our recipe. Almond flour is necessary to help bind the meatballs and give them that nice, soft texture. If you don’t have almond flour, you can use almond meal instead. If you’re not gluten-free or paleo, you can use regular breadcrumbs instead.
Whole Peeled Tomatoes – These pack the most flavor for your sauce. You might notice a few whole tomatoes lingering after you cook your meatballs. If this happens, then gently press down on them with the back of a wooden spoon to break them up.
Jovial Grain Free Cassava Spaghetti – This product is relatively new to the Jovial lineup and oh boy am I excited it exists. For the longest time, zucchini noodles were the only paleo pasta option and they always failed to curb my pasta cravings. This cassava spaghetti is the closest paleo version you’ll get to the real thing. I set my expectations low, but was pleasantly surprised by both the taste and texture! Even my gluten-loving Dad and Boyfriend had nothing bad to say about it – I definitely recommend.
FAQs
Can I just use one type of ground meat?
I highly recommend using both ground beef and ground pork for the ultimate meatballs. Though, you can use just ground beef if you’d like. Simply sub an extra pound of ground beef for the pork.
Can I leave out the eggs?
Definitely not. The eggs are what hold our meatballs together. If you leave out the eggs, then your meatballs will totally fall apart on you – no thanks!
What if I don’t have fresh parsley?
If for some reason you can’t find fresh parsley, you can substitute fresh basil instead. And if you can’t find fresh basil, try using 1/4 the amount of dried basil.
Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs
Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Intermediate4
servings10
minutes30
minutes40
minutesThese paleo spaghetti and meatballs are next level. Tender meatballs are met with a homemade tomato sauce loaded with flavor and fresh herbs! This is my all-time favorite Sunday dinner, and I love that this recipe is much healthier.
Ingredients
- For the meatballs:
1 Pound Ground Beef
1 Pound Ground Pork, see NOTES
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Non-Dairy Milk, see NOTES
2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- For the sauce:
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
28oz Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- For serving:
Jovial Grain Free Cassava Spaghetti, see NOTES
Fresh Parsley, roughly chopped
Directions
- For the meatballs:
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing together with your hands.
- Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, measure out 2 tablespoon of meat per meatball and roll into a ball using the palms of your hands. Then place each prepared meatball on a baking sheet of large plate and set aside.
- Once all meatballs are prepped, heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Working in batches, sear your meatballs for 2-3 minutes per side. They do not need to be cooked through, you are just forming a nice crispy crust on the outside. Remove all meatballs from the pot and then set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
- For the sauce:
- Sauté the garlic in the same pot your cooked your meatballs in over medium-low heat for 2 minutes.
- Add all other sauce ingredients and then give everything a quick stir to combine.
- Gently add your meatballs back into the pot (it’s ok to stack them on top of each other).
- Cover pot with lid, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Serve over grain free pasta of choice!
Notes
- You can omit the pork and use 2 pounds of ground beef instead.
- I recommend you use almond, cashew or soy milk for this recipe. You want a milk with a very mild flavor, so avoid using coconut milk.
- Jovial’s Grain Free Cassava Spaghetti is my recommended pasta option. You can use zucchini noodles or any pasta you’d like!
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