Meatball Marinara with Spiralized Courgette and Wholewheat spaghetti
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Meatball Marinara with Spiralized Courgette and Wholewheat spaghetti
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Why this recipe works
This rich turkey meatball marinara recipe perfectly combines health and comfort, subbing in spiralized courgettie and wholewheat pasta to boost the fibre and cut the calories. Costing just £1.16 per person, it’s the perfect simple yet satisfying dinner for guests or a relaxed evening in! If you can’t find pre spiralised courgettes in the supermarket then make your courgettie spaghetti at home using a peeler to create thin tagliatelle strips. You can also easily make this meatball dish veggie by using plant-based meatballs and veggie stock.
Ingredients
Turkey mince
I’ve opted for turkey mince with this recipe as it’s such a great lean source of protein.
Passata
I like how quickly passata can be cooked in comparison to chopped tomatoes, which we would have to spend a lot of time cooking/reducing to get the same rich, tomatoey flavour for this meatball marinara.
Courgette
It adds nutrients, bulk and flavour to the dish and is perfectly disguised with the spaghetti once spiralized.
Wholewheat spaghetti
Rich in nutrients and nutty in flavour, this complex carbohydrate will keep you fuller for longer and is the perfect carb to pair with the meatball marinara.
Mozzarella
Every meatball marinara has to be served with cheese. Mozzarella is perfect with this pasta recipe as it acts as an amazing binding agent within the meatballs, and also melts perfectly to serve with the best cheese pull.
How to make this recipe
Start by combining the mince, egg, finely diced onion, 1 clove of minced garlic and 50g of the mozzarella in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Coat the base of a non-stick frying pan with rapeseed oil and then using your hands, start to mix up the ingredients and roll the meatball mix into around 15 meatballs. Place them directly into the pan as you go (off the heat).
Once you have evenly distributed the meatballs around the pan, turn on the heat to medium/high. Leave the meatballs for 5 minutes to brown (without stirring) and then rotate and repeat for another 5 minutes.
Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining minced garlic into the same pan to gently fry before adding the passata, chicken stock cube, oregano and honey. Season with a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Meanwhile add the whole grain spaghetti to a saucepan of salted boiling water and set your timer to 2 minutes minus the packet time.
At the same time, also add the meatballs back into the pan with the marinara sauce and leave to cook.
Add the spiralized courgettie.
Transfer the spaghetti into the sauce along with round 2 ladles of pasta water. Stir to combine and continue to cook until perfectly al dente.
How to meal prep this recipe
To meal prep this meatball marinara, divide the recipe into 5 microwavable meal prep containers. Store in the freezer or fridge (consume within 4-5 days in the fridge) and when it’s time to eat, top with mozzarella and pop in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Serve with a pinch of salt and pepper.
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Other meatball recipes…
Swedish Gravy Spaghetti with Pork and Courgette Meatballs Low Carb Meatball MarinaraOther spaghetti recipes…
Creamy Bacon & Spaghetti Courgettie Spaghetti Cheesy Marmite Spaghetti Spaghetti Puttanesca with Spiralized CourgetteMeatball Marinara with Spiralized Courgette and Wholewheat Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 500 g (less than 7% fat) turkey mince (£2.25)
- 1 egg (£0.88/6)=(££0.15)
- 1 white onion, finely diced (£0.09)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (£0.69/3)=(£0.23)
- 250 g mozzarella, grated (£0.49x2)(£0.98)
- 2 courgettes, spiralised (£0.90)
- 1 kg passata (£0.40x2)=(£0.80)
- 250 g wholegrain spaghetti (£0.55)
Cupboard Essentials
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt & pepper
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, start by combining the mince, egg, finely diced onion, 1 clove of minced garlic, 50g of the mozzarella and season with salt and pepper.
- Coat the base of a non-stick frying pan with rapeseed oil and roll the meatball mix into around 15 meatballs, placing them into the pan as you go (off the heat).
- When all of the meatballs are added to the pan and evenly distributed, turn on the heat to medium/high. Leave the meatballs for 5 minutes to brown (without stirring) and then rotate and repeat for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining minced garlic into the same pan to gently fry before adding the passata, chicken stock cube, oregano and honey. Season with a pinch of salt and stir to combine.
- Pop the whole grain spaghetti into salted boiling water and set your timer to 2 minutes minus the packet time. At this stage, also add the meatballs back into the pan with the marinara sauce.
- Transfer the spaghetti into the sauce along with the courgettie and around 2 ladles of pasta water. Stir to combine and continue to cook until perfectly al dente.
Nutrition
Meatball Marinara with Spiralized Courgette and Wholewheat spaghetti
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