Epic Healthy Gluten-Free Meatball Recipe

Healthy Gluten-Free Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash

One of my favorite things to make is a healthy take on pasta. These Healthy Gluten-Free Meatballs with dill sauce and spaghetti squash are too good for words! If you’re thinking about the ideal dish to make for a week-night meal or with friends, this is it. You an even use those couple of extra hands to help you shape the meatballs. This is one of my favorite parts of making these Healthy Gluten-Free Meatball Recipe with dill sauce. You are really getting to know your food in a hands-on way.

You can adjust the seasonings to your taste (just fry off a bit of the mixture until cooked through before you shape all the meatballs). Plus by shaping them by hand, you infuse that extra bit of love into every bite J

Why pasta?

I am a BIG pasta fan as you all know. Before, I’ve shared with you my gluten-free pasta made from quinoa, and my summer shrimp and pesto zucchini noodle recipe. Time and again we find that the toppings you add, no matter how simple they might be, make the meal so much more epic! Here we have some beautiful smoothness from ricotta. We also get that hint of colourful herby goodness from our fresh basil and super flavourful dill. And we have chickpeas and tahini for extra protein and nutrients in our sauce. Plus we’re serving it all on spaghetti squash, a great low-carb and nutrient rich option! This makes our Healthy Gluten-Free Meatball Recipe 100% gluten free.  

Before I share more details of this scrumptious and filling Healthy Gluten-Free Meatball Recipe, make sure you check out the other awesome recipes in my free EBOOK!

What makes these turkey meatballs with spaghetti squash healthy?

 At a glance… this Healthy Gluten-Free Meatball Recipe will give you a major boost of protein with a blend of helpful micronutrients, and great complex carbs. For those who may be looking to add a lean meat option to their daily meals, turkey is perfect for that (ground chicken would be another!) It offers a more nutritious choice to a red meat like beat or lamb for these meatballs.

We have gone with spaghetti squash here because it’s such an incredible vibrant alternative to regular pasta. But if you like there is always the option of brown rice or quinoa pasta, which would still keep this fully gluten-free. Spaghetti squash is an amazing source of potassium and vitamin B6. It is also low in carbs and calories, making it great for those who are looking for weight loss. Our dill sauce is also packed full of some sneaky protein and epic healthy fats in the form of our tahini and chickpeas!

Your nutritional breakdown, per serve:

Cal: 546
Pro: 47
Carb: 18
Fat: 32 

The Color Code:

Color: vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, lycopene (all great for cancer and heart disease prevention)
Perfect for: a healthy post-workout meal

Why are these turkey meatballs easy to make?

The prep time for this recipe is quite literally as simple as shaping your meatballs and blitzing some ingredients in a blender for your sauce! All of the rest all takes place in your preheated oven, leaving so much of the time completely hands off for you. And if you recruit some of your dinner guests to helping shape the meatballs you could quite literally have a 2-minute dish on the table 😉

The important thing is really getting that oven preheated, and letting that gorgeous squash do its thing roasting with your garlic while you combine the ingredients for the meatballs. I left this recipe super pared down so you can really taste the beautiful flavour from your spices and herbs. This one is a total #winner in my book!

Recipe: Turkey Meatballs with Dill Sauce and Spaghetti Squash

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Cost: $10-14
Skill: Medium

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

1 Spaghetti Squash, cut in half and seeds scooped out
2 Garlic Cloves, smashed
Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 lb Turkey ground
2 tsp Fennel Seeds
1 tsp Chili Flakes
Pinch of Salt & Pepper
1/3 Cup Chickpeas
1/3 Cup Mint
1 Cup Ricotta Whipped
1/3 Cup Tahini
1/2 Cup Dill
1/3 Cup Basil
1/3 Cup Parmesan  

Method: 

1.     Preheat oven to 395 F or 200 degrees C. Place garlic cloves down on a sheet pan and place squash cut side down over one garlic clove each, roast in the oven for 40-45 minute or until a knife easily pierces skin and flesh. Set aside to cool

2.     In a bowl combine the ground turkey, fennel seeds, and chili flakes with salt and pepper. Using your hands, roll into golf ball size meatballs (you can dip your hands in cold water to help between balls to get them nice and round and prevent the meat from sticking)

3.     Place on a lined baking tray, drizzle with 1 Tbsp of Olive oil and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked (check by peaking inside)

4.     In a blender or processor blitz the dill, basil, mint, chickpeas, tahini, and parmesan until it becomes a paste

5.     To Serve using a fork brush/scoop out the the stringy flesh of the squash and transfer to a couple of plates, place two tablespoons of ricotta down on top, carefully place on some meatballs before finishing with a drizzle of that dill sauce and a bit of extra parmesan!

 Xo Dan

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