Zucchini Pasta With Meatballs And Tomato Sauce

Just jumped on the low-carb bandwagon?

You might miss the comfort of a delicious bowl of pasta topped with meatballs and tomato sauce. In which case, try our healthier version. This recipe uses zucchini noodles instead of normal spaghetti. The other main ingredient is ostrich mince. It is one of the leanest, healthiest meats around.

  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 slice whole wheat bread
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 free-range egg, beaten
  • 500g ostrich mince
  • Flour for coating
  • 1 can tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1⁄2 cup chicken stock
  • Handful of Italian spices
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • Italian parsley chopped to garnish
  • 2 zucchinis, peeled
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1⁄4 cup water
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 190°C. In a large saucepan over a low heat, gently soften the onion in the oil. Stir in the garlic. Crumble the bread and soak it in the vegetable stock. Mash the bread together and set to the side. Mix the egg, onion garlic, and mince together. Season to taste. Take the bread and mince mixtures and make 10 to 12 golf ball-sized meat balls. Dust lightly with flour.

For the sauce, mix together the can of tomatoes, tomato paste, 1⁄2 cup chicken stock and Italian spices.

Place the meat balls in an oiled baking pan, cover with the sauce and bake for 30 minutes or until just cooked and nicely coloured. Garnish with parsley. Cut thin slices of the zucchini using a vegetable peeler. Slice the zucchini slices into thinner strips to resemble that of spaghetti. You can use a spiralizer if you have one. In a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat, heat olive oil and cook the zucchini for about a minute. Now add the water and cook until the zucchini is soft (5 to 7 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Toss together the meat balls with the pasta and serve.