I do love Italian food. Sadly I can't eat most of it unless I make it on my own. I still go to Italian restaurants these days, but now I either order a steak or a salad since I can't have the yummy pastas they serve with it
Today I'm going to feature a recipe to make meatballs. These Italian-style low-carb meatballs are easy to make ... just 30 minutes. They are keto, nut-free and make a perfect dinner or appetizer.
You can serve these over zucchini noodles, alone or even with a salad.
If you are looking for ways to make meatballs without using the dreaded breadcrumb word, try using almond flour, coconut flour, flax seed meal, crushed pork rinds or even grated parmesan cheese.
To make your meatballs tender and juicy, soak the dry ingredients in your choice of milk. Use coconut milk beverage for nut-free or unsweetened almond milk. Heavy cream also works fine. Letting everything soak for a few minutes before adding the meat goes a long way in improving the texture of your meatballs.
Italian Style Meatballs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sunflower seed meal (or almond flour If not nut-free)
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
3 Tbsp. onion, grated
1 large egg
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley
1 lb. ground beef
3/4 cup marlnara sauce (I use Rao's marlnara sauce)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (grease if using foil).
In a large bowl, stir together the grated Parmesan cheese, sunflower seed meal, Italian seasoning, sea salt and black pepper.
Whisk in the milk, grated onion, egg, garlic, and fresh parsley. Let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes.
Mix in the ground beef using your hands, until just-incorporated. (Don't over-mix to avoid tough meatballs.)
Form the mixture into 1 in (2.5 cm) balls and place on the lined baking sheet. (A small cookie scoop works well for this. If using your hands, use ;i ^cntlu tmich and don't pack the meatballs too tightly.)
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the meatballs are barely done. (If you want them more golden, you can place them under the broiler for a couple of minutes.)
Top each meatball with marinara sauce. Return to the oven and bake for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce is hot and meatballs are cooked through. Garnish with additional fresh parsley.
Special thanks to Virginia Starks who is sharing her ...
