Spaghetti Squash with Arrabiata Sauce and Spicy Italian Meatballs
When I was vacation this past September in Italy, I ate pasta for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Literally. I couldn’t and still can’t get enough. Now that I’m back in California and back to reality, I still have pasta occasionally but can’t help but feel guilty about the belly full of carbs and starch weighing me down as I’m waddling out of the restaurant. Voila! I present to you a guilt-free Italian indulgence substitute for chewy squash “noodles” drenched in a spicy and flavorful tomato arrabiata sauce with tender, zesty, mouthwatering meatballs. Mangia!
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 1 head of garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 8 oz. can tomato paste
- ½ cup organic red wine
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1 ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1½ pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup almond flour
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut the spaghetti squash in half then scoop out and discard the seeds.
- Place the 2 squash halves on a foil lined baking sheet face up.
- Spread the slices of garlic inside and along the walls of the squash halves.
- Season with salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil over the squash, making sure that the inside of the squash halves are covered entirely.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until squash separates easily from the skin.
- Remove from oven and cool for 25 minutes.
- Use a fork to pull the squash strand “spaghetti” out of the squash.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over low heat and sauté onion and garlic for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the organic red wine, honey, dried basil, red pepper flakes, oregano, dried basil, thyme, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Let sauce with meatballs cool before serving.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Beat eggs in a small bowl.
- Mix the ground beef and ground pork together in a large mixing bowl and beaten eggs.
- Stir in minced garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper.
- Add the almond flour and combine.
- Roll mixture with hands into 2-inch meatballs.
- Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Add meatballs to arrabiata sauce, simmer and cool before serving!
Classic Garlic Sautéed Broccoli
I can’t understand why anyone in their right mind would eat plain boiled broccoli with no flavor when you could simply add a little bit of olive oil and garlic and transform boring vegetables into a savory mouthwatering side! It’s no wonder kids don’t like their vegetables but they’ll sure like these broccoli florets bursting with flavor. This piping hot recipe is a great complement to almost every entrée…get your greens!
- 2 heads of broccoli
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup water
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- Wash broccoli and cut broccoli florets in half.
- Sauté half of the garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add broccoli and cook until browned on the bottom (approximately 5 to 7 minutes).
- Drizzle water over the broccoli and cook for an additional 6 minutes until the water has evaporated.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, garlic, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 3 more minutes until the garlic is golden brown.
- Season with salt and pepper!
About Me
Hi, I'm the paleo panda! Join me on my journey for better and greater in eating, traveling and living. This is a collection of my life’s “musts”.
