Keto Spaghetti and Meatballs
Posted: 04/15/21
Updated: 04/05/22
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This keto spaghetti is comfort food made healthy! Traditional Italian meatballs are made low-carb with extra cheese and a touch of heavy cream. Palmini noodles are tossed in a simple, yet delicious sauce for an easy keto meal.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- The meatballs are incredibly tender and flavorful! We removed the breadcrumbs and added in both parmesan and mozzarella cheese for keto meatballs that are totally irresistible.
- The sauce is just four ingredients! There’s no need to complicate things when it comes to spaghetti sauce. Just diced tomatoes, garlic, and a couple spices make for an easy and delicious sauce.
- Palmini noodles closely resemble spaghetti and offer a nice texture to this dish. This plant-based keto spaghetti alternative is super satisfying but a whole lot healthier!
Key Ingredients
Ground Beef – I kept things simple in this recipe by using just ground beef in my meatballs, but you can use half ground pork instead. If you want to use ground pork, mix together 1/2 a pound of ground pork with 1/2 a pound of ground beef.
Diced Tomatoes – Feel free to use whole or crushed canned tomatoes in place of the diced tomatoes in this recipe. I find diced tomatoes break down just enough in this keto spaghetti sauce, though you can use whichever version of canned tomatoes you prefer. Make sure they’re low in carbs and sugar! And if you can’t find sugar-free canned tomatoes, you can use 2 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes instead, though they will yield less flavor than the canned kind.
Palmini Noodles – Made from hearts of palm, this unique keto spaghetti is surprisingly delicious. Hearts of palm is a keto-friendly low carb vegetable, making Palmini noodles the ideal spaghetti substitute in this recipe. You can find Palmini noodles in a can or a sealed bag at most grocery stores. Be sure to drain and rinse your Palmini noodles well before using in this recipe.
Chef’s Tips
- If your pot isn’t large enough to sear all meatballs at once, sear them in two or three batches instead. It took me two batches to sear all of my meatballs in this recipe. It is very important that you don’t overcrowd your pot, otherwise your meatballs will get stuck together.
- This keto spaghetti recipe does not require cooking the Palmini noodles before adding them to the sauce and meatballs. However, if you prefer softer noodles, you can cook the Palmini noodles in boiling water for 5-10 minutes before using in this recipe.
- I highly recommend finishing off this keto spaghetti with some extra parmesan cheese and fresh parsley or basil! The additional cheese makes the macros even better for the keto diet and fresh herbs add a bit of brightness to the overall dish.
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Keto Spaghetti and Meatballs
This keto spaghetti is comfort food made healthy! Traditional Italian meatballs are made low-carb with extra cheese and a touch of heavy cream. Palmini noodles are tossed in a simple, yet delicious sauce for an easy keto meal.
servings
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef see Notes
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese see Notes
- ¼ cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Sauce
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes no sugar added
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Spaghetti
- 24 ounces Palmini noodles see Notes
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Large pot
Instructions
- Mix together the ground beef, garlic, egg, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
- Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, measure out 2 tablespoon of meat per meatball and roll into a ball using the palms of your hands.
- Once all meatballs are prepped, add olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches, sear meatballs for 2-3 minutes per side.
- Sauté the garlic in the same pot you cooked your meatballs in over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Add all other sauce ingredients and stir to combine.
- Gently add your meatballs back into the pot. Cover pot with lid, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
- Drain and rinse the Palmini noodles, then remove pot from heat and stir the noodles in. Divide into equal portions and serve.
Notes
- Ground Beef: You can use anywhere from 70% to 95% lean ground beef.
- Parmesan Cheese: For keto-friendly grated parmesan cheese, we recommend buying a block of parmesan cheese and grating it yourself. Pre-grated cheeses often times contain fillers which add unnecessary carbs.
- Palmini Noodles: Feel free to use your favorite keto pasta in this recipe. Zucchini noodles would taste great!
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 310kcal | Protein: 18g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Total Carbs: 10g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Net Carbs: 6g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 730mg | Potassium: 232mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 2mg
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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