We are on the final leg of our clean eating series! You guys–wa-hoooo! I’m so please to have had so many of you following along: commenting on the recipes, sharing them with your friends & family and talking about them on my social channels! THIS is what keeps me writing & creating. Also, I sure hope your new-found love of whole foods has convinced you that healthy eating does NOT need to be boring. In fact, comfort foods can often be recreated to feel just as satisfying as they were before, yet dramatically more healthy! Today’s recipe is no different. It comes from my deep love of spaghetti & meatballs—>Marinara Meatballs + Spaghetti Squash.
As some of you know, I’m half Italian. Half-Sicilian, to be exact. I grew up eating my nanna’s or my mother’s spaghetti and meatballs once per week…no joke! I still crave my mom’s sauce every once in a while even though I’ve come up with a darn good version myself. The good Lord only knows what she does to that sauce…but it’s magic.
So, when I embarked on this whole food phenomenon, I knew I had to reinvent the wheel with my traditional comfort classics. But how? I mean, HOW do I turn spaghetti and meatballs into a whole food, non-grain meal?
Easy-peasy.
Remember the meatballs we enjoyed with the Italian Wedding Soup? We’re going to make them again! And, if you’re feeling super energetic, make a double batch and freeze half of them to make this particular recipe in a hot minute another night. Trust me. You’ll want to make it again once you taste all the flavors together!
As for my marinara sauce, it’s a recipe I developed back when I was teaching cooking classes out of my home. I created this sauce particularly for my Italian Pizza Workshop Class, but it’s just as easily placed over pasta, or in this case, meatballs + spaghetti squash.
I promise you’ll love this. It will remind you of a very comforting classic…reinvented. And, reinvention is okay, right? Share this one with your friends who are in need of some serious inspo right about now in their Whole 30 journey. They’ve all made it this far. Friends don’t let friends quit Whole 30. Then…head back over to the blog & revisit some of the recipes we’ve made this month that you LOVED.
Until next time…Eat Well. Travel Often. Love Much.
xoxo
Marinara Meatballs + Spaghetti Squash
This delicious Marinara Meatballs over Spaghetti Squash will leave you feeling like you just dined on the traditional Italian favorite without the feeling afterward!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 pound lean ground pork
- 1/2 yellow onion, *very* finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 large egg
- 2 T. coconut aminos
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 T. almond flour
- Kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper
- Mama's Marinara Sauce:
- 1-28 oz. San Marzano tomatoes
- 3-4 T. tomato paste
- 1-2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
- kosher or sea salt + finely ground black pepper
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1-2 T. aged balsamic vinegar (optional, but makes it amazing!)
- 2 medium spaghetti squash
- 2-3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Step 2 Cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise and scoop out any seeds. Rub a little extra virgin olive oil on the insides of the squash. Place the squash, cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Add a little water to the baking sheet so the squash has some moisture while roasting.
- Step 3 Place the squash in the oven for about 45 minutes, until tender.
- Step 4 Meanwhile, make the meatballs–Combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl and gently stir to combine all of the ingredients. Add a few tablespoons of water if the mixture is not “sticking” together. (I find that I usually add 1-2 T. water to get it sticky).
- Step 5 Form the meat into bite-sized meatballs and place on a rimmed baking sheet. I use a small cookie scoop to keep them uniform in size. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet & put them into the oven with the spaghetti squash for about 20 minutes, until the centers are no longer pink.
- Step 6 Make the marinara sauce–In a heavy duty saute pan, add olive oil and heat on medium.
- Step 7 Add garlic and dried herbs and saute until just fragrant, being especially careful not to let the garlic burn.
- Step 8 Once this mixture has formed a paste, add the tomatoes from the can, reserving the juices. Using a crushing tool such as a smooth potato masher, crush the tomatoes to break them down. After cooking for about 5-7 minutes, add the tomato juices from the can of tomatoes. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes until much of the moisture has evaporated and you have a nice, thick sauce.
- Step 9 Add the tomato paste and balsamic vinegar if you are using. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Step 10 Once meatballs and spaghetti squash have finished cooking, pull from the oven and set aside.
- Step 11 Assemble the marinara meatballs + ‘spaghetti’ by taking 1/2 spaghetti squash and loosening the spaghetti strings a little. Add a generous helping of the meatballs and marinara on top.
- Step 12 Enjoy!
