Meatballs, sauce, and “noodles” all in one pot! You could even make a large batch of meatballs and freeze them on a cookie sheet, then divide them into portions in zip-top bags. Throwing a bag of frozen meatballs into a pot with some sauce and a spaghetti squash can be a lifesaving meal on a busy day.
Prep time 30 minutes
Serves 6
1 pound (455 g) ground beef
3 tablespoons (45 g) Paleo Pesto
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon (15 ml) coconut aminos
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1/2 large spaghetti squash
3 cups (750 g) Basic Marinara
1 Arrange the spaghetti squash halves in the slow cooker. If your squash is too large, you can bake the other half in the oven (see note).
2 In a large mixing bowl combine the ground beef, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, pepper, coconut aminos, and nutritional yeast. Blend it gently with your hands, being careful not to squish the meat too forcefully. (It makes the meatballs mushy and mealy.)
3 Form the meat into 11/2- to 2-inch (2.6 to 5 cm) balls.
4 Drizzle the oil on the inside of the squash halves and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5 Place the spaghetti squash half in a 4- or 6-quart (3.8 or 5.7 liter) slow cooker. Arrange meatballs in the cooker, behind the squash and in the center cavity. Pour the marinara sauce over the squash and the meatballs.
6 Cover and cook over low heat for 5 to 6 hours (or 2 to 3 hours on high).
7 Carefully transfer meatballs to a serving plate. Remove squash with tongs and scrape out the noodles with a fork. Place the squash noodles on the plate with the meatballs and spoon the marinara sauce over the top before serving.
