Spaghetti and Meatballs with Homemade Sauce

Classic comfort food with a rich tomato sauce and tender meatballs—no sugar added.

 Ingredients

Meatballs

1 lb ground beef (or beef + turkey mix)

¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup almond flour

1 large egg

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp Italian seasoning

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

Tomato Sauce (no sugar added)

1 tbsp olive oil

½ medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes (no added sugar)

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

¾ tsp salt (or to taste)

½ tsp black pepper

Cooked low-carb spaghetti (zucchini noodles, shirataki, or your choice pasta)

Extra grated Parmesan and fresh basil (optional)

Serves about 4.

Make the meatballs

In a bowl, mix ground beef, Parmesan, almond flour, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper until just combined.

Form 16–20 small meatballs.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a light drizzle of olive oil. Brown meatballs on all sides for 6–8 minutes; they don’t need to be fully cooked yet. Remove to a plate.

Cook the sauce

In the same pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil if needed. Sauté onion 3–4 minutes until soft.

Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

Bring to a gentle simmer, then nestle browned meatballs into the sauce.

Simmer together

Cover and simmer on low 20–25 minutes, turning meatballs once or twice, until they are cooked through and the sauce thickens.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Serve

Spoon sauce and meatballs over your spaghetti of choice.

Top with extra Parmesan and fresh basil if desired.

For softer meatballs, mix gently and avoid compacting the meat too much.

If the sauce tastes too acidic, add a small splash of cream or a pinch more Parmesan instead of sugar.

Let the sauce rest 5–10 minutes before serving so it thickens slightly and clings better to the “spaghetti”.

 Nutritional Info (per serving with sauce and meatballs only, 4 servings)

Calories: 360

Net Carbs: 8g

Protein: 27g

Fat: 23g

Fiber: 3g

Total Carbs : 11g