Using vegetables in place of regular pasta noodles can be a refreshing change for a lighter meal. Zucchini has such a light flavour and perfectly soft texture, making it the best option in my opinion. They can be cut quickly with a spiralizer through which they become “zoodles”, short for zucchini noodles. Carrots, bell peppers and yams are all other commonly used options but I find their flavours can be more overpowering depending on the dish and their texture is farther from cooked pasta.
Meatballs and Zoodles
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 1½ cups tomato sauce
- 4 small zucchini
- Meatballs
- ½ lb ground veal (or beef)
- ½ lb ground pork
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon hot paprika
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 400°. Mix together all the meatball ingredients in a medium sized bowl until thoroughly blended (using hands works best). Scoop out 2 tablespoons at a time and roll the beef mixture into balls and place on a slotted roasting tray (this helps all the excess fat drip out instead of gathering at the base of the meatballs). Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through.
- Set up the tomato sauce in a medium pot on the stove over medium heat to warm it up. Add in the meatballs and leave to simmer for a couple minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the zoodles in a large skillet over medium high heat for around 5 minutes, tossing frequently until they warm up and start to soften slightly.
