Spaghetti & Meatballs

This one isn't perfect because let's be honest, there is no pasta like pasta. I tried Thin Slim's Impastable fettuccini (www.thinslimfoods.com) and although they're an acceptable substitute for spaghetti, I think I would prefer to have zoodles in this recipe next time. Save the carbs for a piece of keto cheesecake or a keto donut for dessert.

Ingredients for meatballs:

0.5 lb ground veal

0.5 lb ground pork

1 lb ground beef

1.25 cup ground pork rinds

2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp salt

0.5 tsp ground black pepper

0.25 tsp ground nutmeg

1 XL egg

Instructions:

1. Place the ground meats, pork rinds, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and egg in bowl. Combine lightly with fork. Using your hands, lightly form into 2-in meatballs.

2. Pour olive oil in large skillet to depth of 0.25in. Heat. In batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully. Should take about 10min per batch. Don’t overcrowd the meatballs. Remove to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don’t clean the pan.

3. Fill the pan with your favorite keto-friendly store-bought marinara sauce or your own marinara sauce (see my recipe on the blog for marinara sauce from scratch).

4. Return meatballs to sauce, cover, and simmer on low heat for 25-30min. Serve hot on cooked Impastable fettuccini or zoodles and pass the grated Parmesan (or mozarella).

MACRO INFO FOR MEATBALLS (serving size is 1 meatball):

161 Calories, 7.7g Fat, 0.3g Net Carbs, 21.6g Protein

Additional thoughts:

These meatballs would be amazing in a meatball sandwich with your favorite keto bread or bun. In that case, making the meatballs smaller in size would be preferential. A 2-in meatball serves beautifully with the pasta to showcase the meatball, but I admit that I want more! You're going to have to exercise some self control not to go over your macros on this one. ;)