Spaghetti And Meatballs

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 12 garlic cloves

• 4 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 2 dried bay leaves

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

• 2/3 cup packed basil leaves chopped

Meatballs:

• 1 cup thin slim low carb plain bread torn into pieces

• 1 cup almond milk

• 8 ounces ground beef

• 8 ounces ground pork

• 8 ounces ground veal

• 3 large eggs beaten

• 4 garlic cloves minced

• 1 cup parmesan cheese finely grated or nutritional yeast

• 1/2 cup parsley chopped

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 large spaghetti squash or other pasta of choice cooked

Utensils:

• large pot

• wooden spoon

• can opener

• bean masher

• large mixing bowl

• medium cookie scoop

• baking sheet

• immersion blender or high speed blender

• large skillet

• tongs

Instructions:

1. prepare ingredients

Sauce:

1. get a large pot over medium-low heat and add 1/4 cup of olive oil

2. add 12 whole garlic cloves to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until the garlic is golden brown on all sides; reduce heat if garlic starts to burn

3. ad 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes to the pot and stir together for 30 seconds until fragrant

4. pour the 4 cans of tomatoes into the pot and use a bean masher to break up the tomatoes a bit

5. add 2 bay leaves to the sauce

6. add 2 teaspoons of salt to the sauce

7. add 1 1/2 tsp of dried oregano to the sauce

8. add 1/2 tsp of black pepper to the sauce and stir together to combine

9. increase the heat slightly to low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 hours until the sauce has thickened and the flavors have concentrated

Meatballs:

1. meanwhile, make the meatballs

2. place 1 cup of torn bread into a large bowl

3. add 1 cup of almond milk to the bread and let it rest for 5 minutes until moistened

4. squeeze bread with your hands to remove excess milk and discard the milk

5. tear the bread into smaller, pea-sized pieces and return to the bowl

6. add 8 oz of beef to the bowl

7. add 8 oz of pork to the bowl

8. add 8 oz of veal to the bowl

9. add 3 eggs to the bowl

10. add 1 cup of finely grated parmesan cheese to the bowl

11. add 1/2 cup of chopped parsley to the bowl

12. add 1 tsp of salt to the bowl

13. add 1 tsp of dried oregano to the bowl

14. add 1/2 tsp of black pepper to the bowl

15. add 1/2 tsp of fennel to the bowl

16. add 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes to the bowl and gently mix together with your hands until ingredients are evenly distributed but be careful to not overmix

17. use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out balls of the meat mixture into your hands and roll together to create and even shape then place to the side onto a baking sheet

18. repeat with remaining meat mixture until you have 30 meatballs and chill until the sauce is ready

Finishing Sauce and Cooking Meatballs:

1. after 2-3 hours of simmering, pluck out the bay leaves

2. add 2/3 cup of chopped basil to the sauce and stir together

3. use an immersion blender to puree the sauce until slightly chunky but not completely smooth and continue simmering; if you don't have an immersion blender then carefully pour the sauce into a blender and puree then return back to the pot

4. meanwhile, get a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1/4 cup of olive oil and allow it to heat

5. work in batches and add the meatballs to the skillet and brown on all sides turning frequently, cook about 5 minutes per batch

6. return the browned meatballs to the baking sheet and repeat process with remaining meatballs

7. add the meatballs to the pot with the tomato sauce and increase the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through

When you are ready for serving add preferred amount of pasta, meatballs, and sauce.

*note that the serving size is for 6 meatballs with 1 1/2 cups of sauce; the pasta is not included*