Enjoy this one-pot meatball and zucchini noodles which are super convenient and totally guilt-free.
Why you will love this recipe?
- Low-carb: By using spiralized zucchini instead of spaghetti will reduce the carbohydrate intake per portion. I am not anti-pasta or hating on carbohydrates, but I prefer this recipe because it makes me feel less tired after and is more macro-friendly.
- Save time: You will save time using zucchini noodles and if you find a way to eliminate the prep time, this can be cooked in one-pot in under 30 minutes.
- Could be keto-friendy: For my keto friends, if you use keto breadcrumbs, then this meatball zucchini noodles recipe is for you.
- Could be vegan-friendly: You can use this same idea for vegetarian and vegan meatballs.
Meatball and Zucchini Noodles
Enjoy this one-pot meatball and zucchini noodles which is super convenient and totally guilt-free. This recipe is a great idea for a family meal.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 500 g lean ground beef
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 50 g Breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp Mixed Herbs
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
Tomato Sauce
- 400 g passata
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika powder
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and black pepper to taste
Zoodles
- 3 medium zucchini sliced into noodles
- salt to taste
Instructions
Preparation Tips
- Prepare the zoodles, by simply slicing the zucchini into spaghetti-like strips, in advance to save time and follow the process below.
Meatballs
- In your mixing bowl, place all your ingredients and stir to combine.
- Shape into meatballs.
- In your large pan, add olive oil and lightly fry the meatballs for 5 minutes. Once they are browned, set them aside to cook the tomato sauce in the same pan.
Tomato Sauce
- In the same pan, add the onions and garlic which you need to sauté until they are browned, which should take five minutes.
- Add the passata or chopped tomatoes, followed by the smoked paprika, chilli flakes, bay leaf, salt and black pepper.
Combine
- Add the meatballs to your pan, simmer, cover, reduce heat and allow it to cook for 20 minutes.
- Take off the cover, stir to combine and add the zoodles. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Serve with parmesan cheese grated on top.
Notes
- For meal prep purposes, you can refrigerate up to three to four days. However, the zucchini spaghetti will be very watery and we advise that you make this fresh, but you can prepare the meatballs and sauce in advance.
- For a quicker method, which will save you 20 minutes of preparation time, you can use store-bought meatballs and prepare the zoodles in advance.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 375kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 33.8gFat: 17.6gSaturated Fat: 6.2gCholesterol: 53.8mgSodium: 613mgFiber: 3.7gSugar: 8.6g
Read more nutritional information values.
Data source: USDA
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