Meatballs with Zucchini Pasta

Hearty and Oh So Delicious! This take on meatballs is super easy and packed with a huge amount of flavour! Here is an excellent dish to make ahead of time and reheat for a quick lunch or weeknight dinner. Zucchini pasta as a side, is a healthy and light alternative and offers a subtle flavour which perfectly complements the meatballs. This dish gives you the feeling of pasta and meatballs without the heaviness and carbs! And, of course if desired, this dish can be finished off with a few slices of garlic toast.

We have shown below making 7-9 meatballs depending on how large you make them.

What you will need:

• 1 lb medium/lean ground beef
• 2 eggs; lightly beaten
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese; grated
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup fresh parsley; roughly chopped (OR 1 tbsp dried parsley)
• ¼ cup onion; chopped; caramelized 
• 1 large clove of garlic; minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 4-5 cracks of pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 650 ml jar tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Zucchini Pasta:

• 1 Spiralizer
• 2 Zucchini’s
• ½ tbsp. butter
• Salt and Pepper

 

Directions:

Prep Time: 25 minutes  ◊  Cook Time: 17 minutes

1. In a large mixing bowl add your eggs and beat lightly. Then add beef, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, caramelized onions, garlic and spices into the same bowl. Using a spatula, fold mixture into itself until thoroughly combined.
2. Next form mixture into 2 inch sized balls. Roll in the palms of your hands to ensure they are tightly packed; set aside on plate. If you are making ahead of time, stop here and store prepped meatballs in the fridge until ready to make. 
3. Add olive oil to a large frying pan and bring to medium heat. Add meatballs and let cook for 5 minutes or until a golden brown colour appears on bottoms. Flip meatballs and add tomato sauce; spooning sauce onto each. Cover pan and let simmer for another 6-8 minutes or until cooked through. Once meatballs reach 140-145 remove from heat and let cool slightly. 
4. While the meatballs are finishing; use a spiralizer to prepare your zucchini. Heat a medium sized pan and melt butter.
5. Add zucchini, lightly season with salt and pepper and cook for 4 minutes – tossing occasionally. You want the zucchini to still have a bit of crunch to it.
6. Divide cooked zucchini to plates, add meatballs, spoon sauce on top and serve. Garnish with additional parmesan cheese.