Your family or friends will thank you for cooking these! Super easy and delicious, the meatballs freeze well, so make double for later use.
Ingredients
Your family or friends will thank you for cooking these! Super easy and delicious, the meatballs freeze well, so make double for later use. Remember to keep to the allowed portion of celery (½ celery stick or <30g per serving).
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
- 320g gluten-free whole wheat spaghetti
- 450g minced beef or pork
- 10g/2 spring onions (green part only), finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil, for brushing
- 4 tsp grated Parmesan, to serve
- 100% sourdough spelt bread, to serve (optional)
For the tomato sauce:
- 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
- 60g/1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
- 1 cinnamon stick or ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 125ml red wine
- 100ml homemade chicken stock
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- For the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a large pan set over a low heat. Add the celery and fry for 1–2 minutes. Add the tomato purée and cook for a few minutes, followed by the canned tomatoes, cinnamon, red wine and stock. Season to taste.
- Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down very low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat the grill to its highest setting.
- When the sauce is almost ready, start cooking the spaghetti as per the packet instructions.
- For the meatballs, place the mince, spring onions, basil and cinnamon in a bowl. Season with freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
- Roll small amounts of the mince mixture into balls. You should make 12–16 meatballs. Brush the meatballs with a little oil and place on a baking tray.
- Place under the grill to cook for 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally and brushing them with a little more oil as they brown.
- To serve, stir the cooked spaghetti through the sauce. Divide between four plates and serve with three or four meatballs on top, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve with some 100% sourdough spelt bread on the side if you need a carbo-hydrate boost pre-competition or post-training.
Recipe courtesy of Gut Feeling
