Turkey Meatballs with Marinara
over zucchini noodles
Saucy meatballs over noodles are total Italian-inspired comfort food which is why we love this paleo-friendly version over zucchini noodles. This updated version of a meal from 2017 uses leftover meatballs from earlier in the week, so it comes together quickly.
Ingredients
- Lettuce, romaine - 2 hearts , chopped (sub butterhead)
- Tomatoes, roma - 4 , chopped
- Black olives, sliced (2.25 oz / 63 g) - 1 can , drained and rinsed
- Mustard, Dijon - 2 tsp
- Vinegar, red or white wine - 1 Tbsp
- Oregano, dried - 1/4 tsp
- Oil, olive - 3 Tbsp
- Turkey, ground - 1 lb (look for ground dark meat turkey if available)
- Eggs - 1
- Almond flour - 3 Tbsp
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
- Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp
- Zucchini - 12 oz , turned into noodles with a peeler or spiralizer or sliced
- Garlic - 4 cloves , chopped
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp
- Basil, dried - 1/2 tsp
- Oregano, dried - 1/2 tsp
- Crushed tomatoes (28 oz / 794 g) - 1 can
- Turkey meatballs (ingredients listed separately) - ~12
Prep
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Make meatballs - (Skip if made ahead for Tuesday.) Heat oven to 375F / 191C degrees. Mix ground turkey with eggs, almond flour, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Brush or spray a sheet pan with some oil. Roll meatball mixture into small 1.5” / 4 cm wide meatballs and place onto sheet pan. Bake until just cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. (Can be done up to 4 days ahead)
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Zucchini - Turn zucchini into 'noodles' with a spiralizer or peel off strips with a peeler. (Note: If you prefer, you can also just slice your zucchini to make a zucchini saute.)
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Lettuce / Tomatoes / Garlic - Prep as directed.
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Olives - Drain and rinse olives.
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Make
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Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add first part of cooking oil and then garlic, basil, and oregano (portion for marinara) to heated oil. Cook just until fragrant, ~1 minute. Pour crushed tomatoes over top and bring to a simmer.
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Remove sauce from heat and season with some salt and pepper. Stir meatballs into sauce.
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Let meatballs sit in sauce while you heat a nonstick pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add second part of cooking oil and then zucchini noodles with a pinch of salt. Saute until zucchini is tender, ~2 minutes for zucchini noodles and 4 minutes for zucchini slices.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar, and oregano (portion for the salad). Add olive oil while whisking. Top with tomatoes, lettuce, and black olives. Toss to combine.
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Serve meatballs and sauce over zucchini noodles. Enjoy with salad on the side.
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