Zesty Tomato Meatballs and Zucchini Noodles

Zesty Tomato Meatballs and Zucchini Noodles

SM
Meat, Gluten Free

Who doesn’t love meatballs? They have been a favourite of mine since I was a kid. This recipe involves making your own sauce, which means you know exactly how much sugar and salt is added. The flavour is created by combining a good mix of Italian herbs with a little chili for a punchy sauce.

Serves 4

Ready in 40 mins

Zesty Tomato Sauce

  • 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • 1 medium onion (red or brown), finely diced

  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 1/2 to 1 long red chili, depending on how zingy you like your sauce (seeded and finely sliced)

  • 1/2 bunch fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

  • 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes

  • 400g passata (plain or basil infused)

  • 1 tbsp balsamic glaze or 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

  • Grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Meat Balls

  • 1 tsp dried Rosemary (or 2 sprigs fresh Rosemary)

  • 2 tsp dried oregano

  • 1/4 cup multigrain breadcrumbs

  • 3 tsp Dijon Mustard

  • 500g lean mince, beef or pork (or a mixture of both)

  • 1 large egg, whisked

Zucchini Noodles

  • 2 medium Zucchini, spiralised with skin on

  • extra virgin olive oil spray

Zoodles (spiralised zucchini noodles) are the latest craze that I am embracing. What a great way to increase your veg intake. But….. I have to be honest my kids are a bit dubious, they love traditional pasta. A compromise is to start with half zoodles and half pasta, if all else fails, serve with some chunky fettuccine and a serve of steamed greens on the side!

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Drizzle a saucepan on medium heat with extra virgin olive oil. Add onion and saute until transparent. Add the garlic and chili followed by the fresh basil leaves. Stir through. Add tomatoes and passata, breaking up the tomatoes as they cook. Stir through balsamic vinegar and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then simmer sauce until needed. You may need to add a small amount of sugar to cut through the bitterness of tomatoes. Taste to test.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl combine rosemary and oregano with breadcrumbs and Dijon mustard. Add egg to bowl followed by mince. Using your hands mix until well combined. With a large dessert spoon scoop mixture and roll into small balls and place on a plate.

Step 3

Heat a large heavy based flat pan (that fits a lid) over medium heat. Spray with extra virgin olive oil and add prepared meat balls. Cover with lid and cook for about 4 minutes. Turn meatballs, replace lid and cook for a further 4 minutes. Meatballs should be browned on all sides and start to firm to hold shape.

Step 4

Pour sauce over meatballs, gently stir being careful not to break meatballs apart. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes until ready to serve.

Step 5

To prepare the zoodles, spray a flat fry-pan with extra virgin olive oil and heat over high heat. Add spiralised zoodles and stir-fry until they begin to soften. Be careful to not overcook as they will wilt and lose moisture leaving them soggy. They should still be slightly firm when serving.

Step 6

Serve meatballs over zoodles and top with additional fresh basil leaves and grated Parmesan cheese. Yum!!

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