It doesn’t get any easier than this recipe to make an authentic Italian meatball dinner. Even your picky eaters will be gobbling this one up! For those looking to go Lady and the Tramp style, serve over zoodles!
MAKES: 6 servings
1 SERVING (2 MEATBALLS): 438 Calories, 30 g Fat, 7 g Carbs, 32 g Protein
1 (28-oz [785-g]) can no-sugar-added peeled tomatoes, with liquid
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) white vinegar
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp erythritol
1 tsp salt, plus more as needed
½ lb (227 g) ground pork
¾ lb (340 g) ground beef
6 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz (340 g) cauliflower rice, steamed
½ cup (52 g) almond flour
½ cup (50 g) Parmesan cheese, shredded
3 tbsp (12 g) fresh parsley, chopped
2 eggs
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ cup (56 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
½ tsp Italian seasoning
To make the marinara sauce, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, black pepper, red pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, parsley, erythritol and salt in a large pot and simmer for 40 minutes. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Set aside. The recipe will make excess sauce. You will only need 10 ounces (300 ml).
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line an oven-safe skillet with aluminum foil and set aside.
To make the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine the ground meats, garlic, cauliflower rice, almond flour, Parmesan cheese, parsley, eggs, salt and black pepper. Mix with your hands until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Form into meatballs. I like to weigh the meat and divide it into equal-sized balls. Each meatball should be approximately 3.3 ounces (90 g).
Coat the prepared skillet with cooking spray and bake the meatballs for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Place the meatballs on a plate and remove the foil from the skillet. Pour ½ cup (120 ml) of the marinara sauce in the bottom of the skillet, spreading evenly. Place the meatballs in a single layer over the marinara sauce and pour the remaining sauce over the meatballs. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the Italian seasoning.
Cover the skillet with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered until the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.
TIPS: If you don’t want to make your own sauce, you can use a store-bought one, such as Rao’s, or a brand that has 4 grams net carbs per ½ cup (120 ml). If you can’t find one, feel free to use pureed tomatoes mixed with ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
To make this dairy-free, omit the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and add ½ cup (30 g) of crushed pork rinds.