Sometimes pasta with meatballs just hits the spot.  It also happens to be a quick and easy go-to meal.  There are tons of ways you can make it healthier with a few swap outs.  I used chickpea pasta like this one and Rao’s pasta sauce which is a low-sugar brand.

I also used grass fed meat I got on sale a while back and had in the freezer…hot tip!  When you see grass-fed on manager’s special – stock your freezer.  It can be pricey when it’s not on sale.  My friend, Amanda, just told me Fresh Market has grass-fed ground beef on sale Fridays.  It’s worth checking out.  I find it marked down a lot at Sprouts and Super-Target.

This time I used ground lamb and ground beef – but you could also use ground pork or ground sausage, or even ground chicken or turkey, or a combination.

Many meatball recipes have bread crumbs in them, but this one is gluten-free and just as tasty.  If you don’t have oat flour, you can sub gluten-free quick oats.  You can use a food processor to mix these up, but I used my hands because my trusty-old Ninja kicked the bucket.  So long, old pal.  <3

This is also a versatile recipe – because you could make these into Swedish meatballs and serve over noodles or mashed potatoes, or make mini versions into a crock-pot appetizer.

I’m writing this recipe for my baby sister – the biggest pasta lover I know.  If you’re lucky, she’ll share the Parmesan cheese with you.

Start by adding all the ingredients together in a large bowl, then combine thoroughly…

Use a cookie scoop to drop even size balls on a baking sheet lined with silpat.  Then, roll each one into a rounder ball.   Bake at 350º for about 25 minutes.  This makes about 35 medium size meatballs.

Enjoy with Presecco!

A+ (gluten-free) Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground meat (I used 1 lb each of lamb and beef)
• 1/3 cup oat flour
• 2 eggs
• 3 tsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:

Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Use a cookie scoop to drop even size balls on a baking sheet lined with silpat.  Then, roll each one into a rounder ball.   Bake at 350º for about 25 minutes.  Move to paper towel to cool/absorb grease.  This makes about 35 medium size meatballs.  Enjoy!

<3

Shannon