Italian Meatballs (Low carb, Gluten Free)
An easy recipe for homemade Italian meatballs without breadcrumbs! Served in a rich tomato sauce these meatballs are a high protein low carb meal for the whole family!
Equipment
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Frying Pan
- cookie scoop optional for shaping meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- ¼ cup canned tomato pureed (see notes)
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
- 1 pound Italian sausage/ground pork
- 1 pound ground beef
- salt and pepper
Tomato Sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cup canned tomato pureed (see notes0
- 3 tablespoons red wine or vinegar red wine vinegar or white vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley for garnish
Instructions
Easy Italian Meatballs
- Blend the tomatoes into a puree. Using an immersion blender or a blender, blitz the canned whole tomatoes into a smooth puree. Add 1/4 cup of the tomato puree to a large bowl and set the rest of the tomato aside for making the sauce.¼ cup canned tomato
- Create a slurry for the meatball mix. Add the finely diced onion, garlic, parmesan cheese, and parsley to the bowl with the 1/4 cup of pureed tomato and combine well. This slurry is the base of your meatballs.1 small onion, 3 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons parsley, salt and pepper
- Add the meat to the slurry and combine. Add the ground beef, and Italian sausage to the slurry, season with salt and pepper and combine well.1 pound ground beef, 1 pound Italian sausage/ground pork, salt and pepper
- Form the meatballs. Using your hand or a large cookie scoop, grab a handful of the meat mixture (2-3 oz) and begin forming it into a ball with you hands. Firmly toss the meatball into the palm of your hand to compact the mixture into a nice round ball. Season the surface with salt and pepper and set aside. Repeat for the remaining meat mixture.
- Fry the meatballs until cooked through. Lightly oil a large frying pan and place over medium heat. Once hot add the meatballs to the pan and allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes per side, rotating occasionally until the meatballs have browned and cooked through. Remove the cooked meatballs from the pan and set aside.
Simple Low Carb Tomato Marinara
- Fry garlic in oil and meatball drippings. Add olive oil to the pan the meatballs were in and add minced garlic to fry. Careful to avoid burning, cook until the garlic just begins to brown.3 tbsp olive oil, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the tomatoes and wine/vinegar and simmer. Add the remaining pureed tomatoes and the wine or vinegar. Bring the pan to a gentle simmer for 1-2 minutes to cook down and the cover to simmer for at least 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.3 cup canned tomato, 3 tablespoons red wine or vinegar
- Add meatballs to the sauce. Add the cooked meatballs to the pan with the sauce and toss to coat. Season with salt, pepper, and chopped parsley before serving.salt and pepper, parsley
Notes
Be sure to dice the onion and the garlic very small before adding them to the meat mixture.
Canned tomatoes: Use whole or halved canned tomatoes as a lower carb choice with lots of tomato flavour. If using canned crushed tomatoes use about half as much or adjust to taste.
Red wine: Use any red wine you like to drink and make sure you allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for a few minute to cook of the wine enough to remove bitterness.
Vinegar: Instead of wine you can substitute vinegar in this tomato sauce. Use a good quality white or red wine vinegar, again allowing the sauce to simmer uncovered for a few minutes to cook down the vinegar.
Nutrition
Calories: 478kcalCarbohydrates: 11.7gProtein: 42.5gFat: 29.9gSaturated Fat: 10.9gSodium: 590mgPotassium: 827mgFiber: 3.71gSugar: 4.39gVitamin A: 70IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 132mgIron: 4.4mgSugar Alcohols: 0.08gNet Carbs: 7.9g
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