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Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs (Gluten-Free)

Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs make for a delicious and comforting meal. These meatballs are seasoned to perfection and so juicy. Easy and flavorful pasta sauce served over spaghetti and meatballs and topped with extra parmesan cheese. Gluten-free spaghetti and meatballs, made with extra nutrients for one healthy dish.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Gluten-Free Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 582 kcal
Author Angelica Arias

Ingredients

Gluten-Free Meatballs

  • 2 lbs lean ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp pink sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 3 tbsp fresh parsley
  • 1 green onion

Gluten-Free Spaghetti

  • 12 oz gluten-free spaghetti pasta
  • 3 quarts water
  • 1 tbsp pink sea salt
  • 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Spaghetti Sauce

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 15 oz tomato sauce
  • 15 oz diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp pink sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

Instructions

For Gluten-Free Meatballs:

  1. Preheat oven at 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper and set to the side. Prep ingredients for meatballs; mince garlic, thinly slice green onion, and finely chop fresh parsley.

  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef and all of the ingredients for it; egg, Parmesan cheese, almond flour, pink sea salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, black pepper, thyme, garlic, fresh parsley, and green onion.

  3. Using a spatula or your hands, mix all ingredients well into the beef. It should all be well incorporated. Once all the ingredients are combined, bring back your prepped baking sheet pan and start scooping out ground beef and rolling it into balls using your hands. You can roll beef into 2-3 inch balls or make them smaller or bigger if you'd like. I have kids so I usually will roll most into 2-3 inches and make a few smaller ones for them. If you make all your meatballs 2-3 inches you will end up with 15-20 meatballs that size. Place meatballs on prepped sheet pan lining them up next to each other leaving 1-2 inches of space between them.

  4. Place meatballs in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Take the meatballs out and check one on the inside. If it's too pink for your liking, place back in the oven for another 10-12 minutes or until it's cooked to your temp of liking.

For Gluten-Free Spaghetti:

  1. While meatballs are cooking, fill up a large pot with a pasta strainer with water and salt. Stir to get salt to dissolve in water. Place on stovetop on high-heat and bring water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions. Make sure to follow the directions the package comes with. Different types of pastas, especially gluten-free ones, can take different times to cook al-dente.

  2. Once pasta is cooked, drain (don't forget to reserve 1/2 cup of the water for the sauce) and rise with cold water. This will stop the cooking process and prevent your gluten-free spaghetti from overcooking and getting mushy. Place back in the pot and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Stir making sure the spaghetti is well coated with the oil. This will prevent your noodles from sticking together.

For Spaghetti Sauce:

  1. As your pasta cooks, get the ingredients for the sauce ready. Dice yellow onion, mince garlic, slice basil by rolling the leaves and then slicing into it, measure baby spinach and slice using the same method as with the basil, finely chop fresh parsley.

  2. Place skillet on stovetop and drizzle olive oil over it. Bring to a heat on medium-high-heat. Toss in onion and sauté for about 2 minutes until onion starts to soften and become translucent. Toss in garlic and sauté for another minute. Pour in tomato sauce and diced tomatoes mixing together with the onions and garlic. Stir in spices and herbs; Italian Seasoning, basil, parsley, pink salt, black pepper, and oregano. Pour in the reserved water you set aside after draining the spaghetti. Mix well into the sauce. At this point your sauce should be bubbling. Bring down to a low heat and add in baby spinach. Stir and then allow it to simmer for 3-5 minutes. Turn heat off and pour sauce over cooked spaghetti. Stir combining sauce and pasta well.

  3. Once meatballs come out of the oven, add them to the spaghetti and toss gently. Top with extra Parmesan cheese and garnish with more basil if you wish. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Tips for cooking gluten-free pasta:

  1. Follow package cooking instructions- Gluten-free pasta cooks differently from regular pasta. In addition, different gluten-free pastas cook differently from others. This varies depending on the brand, type of gluten-free flour, etc. Make sure to follow package instructions on how to cook the gluten-free pasta you're using for cooking it al dente.
  2. Salt your water- This adds flavor to your pasta.
  3. Rinse pasta once it's cooked and drained- This will stop the cooking process preventing your pasta from being overcooked and keeping it al dente.
  4. Drizzle a bit of oil on your cooked pasta once it's drained and rinsed- Gluten-free pasta tends to clump up and stick together as it cools off. Drizzling a bit of oil over it and stirring wile it's still hot will prevent it from sticking together. I like to use extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil for this.
  5. Reserve water you cooked your pasta in- Reserved pasta water will still be helpful in thickening your pasta sauce and adding more flavor to it.

Nutrition Facts
Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs (Gluten-Free)
Amount per Serving
Calories
582
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
21
g
32
%
Saturated Fat
 
6
g
38
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
7
g
Cholesterol
 
128
mg
43
%
Sodium
 
2601
mg
113
%
Potassium
 
1008
mg
29
%
Carbohydrates
 
55
g
18
%
Fiber
 
5
g
21
%
Sugar
 
6
g
7
%
Protein
 
45
g
90
%
Vitamin A
 
1330
IU
27
%
Vitamin C
 
21
mg
25
%
Calcium
 
204
mg
20
%
Iron
 
7
mg
39
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.