Pasta used to be a staple in my diet and I cooked it almost weekly for my family. It was probably the one thing I didn’t think I was willing to go without. Turns out, I was wrong.
Ingredients:
- 2-2.5 pounds of meat (I used sausage and pork this time)
- 1/4 cup Almond flour
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- Onion (optional)
- Garlic, Salt, Pepper, Onion powder
- Basil
- Spinach
- Mozzarella cheese
- Tomato Sauce
- Heavy cream (see note below)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Grab a large bowl and add your meat, almond flour, parmesan cheese, egg, onion, and spices. You’re going to have to use your hands and mix it all together. You can also add grated mozzarella cheese to the meatballs if you want. Roll the meat into balls. This is where I just kind of wing it. You don’t want them too big, they take too long to cook as it is. Sometimes they all fit in one 9×13 dish, this week I needed a second smaller dish.
Bake the meatballs for 30 minutes to start. While the meatballs are baking get your sauce simmering on the stove. I buy the unseasoned tomatoes (Cento brand) and add fresh basil, garlic, salt, pepper, whatever seasoning you have on hand. I also add a dash of heavy cream to up the fat content. I know that’s not an actual measurement. It’s not 1/4 cup, it’s maybe 2-3 tablespoons. And a splash of red wine if I have a bottle opened.
I usually buy whole tomatoes, it’s the lowest carb for some reason. Always check your labels!
Then I use my stick blender to puree them.
After 30 minutes in the oven, remove the meatballs, pour the sauce over them, and place back in the oven for 25-30 minutes. This is not an exact science as the length of cooking depends on the size of the meatballs. Mine usually take 70 minutes. If the sauce is bubbling too much cover your dish with foil.
For the last 10 minutes pile the fresh spinach on the top and mozzarella cheese to cover the whole casserole. Bake until the cheese is melted and slightly crisp. So good.
Serve with something green to keep this low-carb. Green beans and bacon are always a great choice! And that’s just how it sounds. I cooked the bacon in the pan then add a bag of frozen green beans that I have cooked a little in the microwave. Add butter, salt, and pepper. Serve quickly because we all know green beans don’t stay warm!
Here’s the final plate. Our family really likes this dish! If you have carb eaters in your family you can always add pasta on the side for them. I don’t think they will miss it though!
Hope you enjoy this as much as we do! It makes great lunch leftovers if you have any. You can also make meatball subs using the fathead dough if you want to change things up.
Happy cooking!
