Spaghetti 'In' Meat Balls
Ingredients
- 2 cups bowtie pasta ⓘ
- 1/4 cup olive oil ⓘ
- 3/4 cup onion-small dice ⓘ
- 1 tablespoon garlic-minced ⓘ
- 1.5 pounds lean ground beef-grass fed ⓘ
- 2 eggs ⓘ
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon nutmeg ⓘ
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper ⓘ
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano ⓘ
- 1/2 cup dried currants (or diced dried cranberries or apricots)
- 1/4 cup pistachios-shelled ⓘ
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese ⓘ
- 1.5 cups tomato sauce (homemade or store bought-organic)-divided ⓘ
- 2 tablespoons salt ⓘ
- 1.5 tablespoons black pepper ⓘ
Instructions
- In a saucepan, cook pasta according to directions; if you typically like it al dente, cook it 2 minutes longer this time; remove from heat, drizzle with 1 T olive oil (so it doesn't stick), and reserve.
- Heat 2 T olive oil in a pan and add onions; cook until translucent.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer; remove contents of the pan and reserve.
- In a large bowl, mix onion/garlic mixture, ground beef, eggs, paprika, nutmeg, cayenne, oregano, currants, pistachios, cheese, half of the tomato sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Working in batches, dice bowties on a cutting board.
- Add to the beef mixture and mix well.
- Roll mixture into 1 to 2 inch balls.
- On medium, heat 1 T olive oil in a pan and add meat balls to the pan; add the remaining 1/2 cup tomato sauce to the pan and cook for ~10-12 minutes, or until cooked through.
Nutrition & Diet Analysis (per serving)
1062
kcal
53% DV
Protein
Fat
Carbs
Diet fit
High-protein
High-fiber
Contains
Milk
Egg
Wheat/Gluten
Tree nuts
Estimated from ingredients & per-serving nutrition — verify against package labels for allergies or strict diets.
* % Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet (FDA 2020).
Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data and may vary with brand, portion and preparation — see our methodology. This information is for general educational purposes only and is not medical or dietary advice (disclaimer).