Paleo "Spaghetti" and Meatballs

I've been meaning to get this recipe down, as it's become a staple in our meal rotation. I keep wanting to share it and realizing that I don't really know how I make it. So I'm finally getting around to it! 

I don't know what it is about spaghetti and meatballs, but it's certainly one of my go-to comfort meals. So when we cleaned up our diets, and pasta, sugar and dairy left the building, (and so did spaghetti and meatballs) I needed to find a good replacement.

This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, and Anti-Candida diet friendly. 

Let's get one thing out in the open...

Spaghetti squash isn't the same as regular pasta. Let's just be real. It's not the same thing. But a close second? Absolutely! 

There are lots of ways to make spaghetti squash, but here is how I do it...

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place spaghetti squash directly on rack and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the skin is wilted and a little browned. Let cool until you can touch it without burning yourself. Cut in half (short-way), scoop out the seeds and discard, and then use a fork to scrape the "noodles" up. 

I put the spaghetti squash noodles into a crockpot, toss with Celtic sea salt and olive oil, and keep it on warm until my meatballs are ready. 

Now, for the meatballs! 

Meatballs 

(Makes around 30) 

2 tbs coconut flour

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

1 tsp pepper 

1 tsp garlic

1 tsp rosemary

1 tsp thyme 

1 tsp oregano

1 jar of pasta sauce (Anti-Candida Diet note: Sprouts has many good options for sugar and vinegar free sauces)

2 eggs

1.5 lbs ground beef 

.5 ground pork 

Olive oil

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add 2 tbs of your pasta sauce, mix well, and then add eggs. When the mixture is well incorporated, add the meat and combine with your hands until smooth and mixed together very well. 

Preheat your oven to 350. 

Heat olive oil (about 1/4-1/2 in deep) in a pot over medium heat. When the oil is fragrant and shiny, use a spring-loaded ice cream scoop to drop meatballs into the pot. (Do not overcrowd the pan! Do this in shifts, letting there be about an inch of space around each meatball) Let them sit and brown for about 1-2 minutes, then flip. Continue this until meatballs are browned on all sides. Move each meatball to a paper-towel lined plate, and let dry while you continue browning the rest of the meatballs. 

When all the meatballs are browned and removed from pan, pull pan off the heat and add the jar of pasta sauce to the remaining oil. Cover and let sit. 

Transfer the meatballs to a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes (or until cooked all the way through.) 

When cooked, put into pot of sauce. 

Serve with cooked spaghetti squash!