Spaghetti is not only an easy meal to make it is also one of the most popular. The noodles aren’t exactly the star of the dish, it is usually the sauce. Some people use vegetarian sauce and others love meat sauce but the point is that few people are worried about the noodles. However, you are surely concerned about the noodles if you’re on a low carb diet. Luckily, there are other ways to enjoy a spaghetti sauce without the carb-filled pasta you are familiar with. Zoodles are the answer and a low carb zoodles and meat sauce recipe is the result.
This delicious low carb zoodles and meat sauce recipe will help you enjoy a classic dish with a healthier twist and this is a keto diet-friendly recipe, too!
Low carb diets are not very difficult. You can get away with eating bacon which is very telling. But that is not to say that we don’t have to make sacrifices. Pasta is a huge sacrifice for many people.
But there are ways to still enjoy the best aspects of pasta without even eating pasta. Zoodles make for a great pasta substitute. You can easily make zoodles by cutting zucchini into thin strips, much like noodles.
The zucchini noodles will take the place of the pasta and that means you just need to worry about the sauce. Once again, you’re in luck, there is a complete low carb zoodles and meat sauce recipe available.
Your family and friends wouldn’t even miss the common pasta, that’s how good this recipe is.
Ingredients for Low Carb Zoodles Recipe
You could easily find a jar of pasta sauce at your local grocery store. However, you will need to go through the nutritional information of each jar to make sure it fits your needs.
It is much easier to make your own sauce from scratch. This is how you can be sure that the entire dish fits into your diet plan. Making the sauce from scratch is relatively easy, it is the ingredients list that makes it seem difficult.
You will need things like crushed tomatoes, an onion, garlic, carrots, red peppers, spinach, ground beef or turkey, basil, Italian seasoning, and some olive oil.
You will want as many fresh ingredients as you can find for this low carb zoodles and meat sauce recipe. But jarred roasted red peppers or pre-minced garlic is fine.
Low Carb Zoodles and Meat Sauce Recipe Directions
Preparation tip: Zoodles, especially frozen, have high water content. Before you prep, the meat sauce with veggies, set your zoodles aside in a large bowl lined with paper towels. Salt the zoodles just a bit to draw out any excess water and let them sit until you are ready to heat them up.
Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and onion and cook over medium-high heat until the onion is translucent. About 4 minutes.
Add the ground beef or turkey, salt and pepper to taste and brown, about another 4 minutes.
When the meat is just about browned, add the fresh basil leaves and stir until wilted.
Remove the skillet from heat and drain off any liquids. Pour the seasoned meat mixture into a large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.
Combine the canned tomatoes, carrots, roasted peppers, spinach and Italian seasoning in a blender or food processor and blend until mostly smooth.
Add the blended veggies to the pot with the seasoned meat. Stir to combine all ingredients. Simmer over medium to medium-high heat for about 35 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, use paper towels to blot the zoodles dry. You can heat them up gently in a non-stick skillet (about 3 minutes, medium-high) or the microwave (45 seconds).
Divide the zoodles into serving dishes and top with meat sauce with veggies.
Leftovers Tip: Extra sauce will keep up to 5 days refrigerated or freeze for later use. Zoodles do not keep well. Try to prepare just enough for immediate use.
This delicious low carb zoodles and meat sauce recipe will help you enjoy a classic dish with a healthier twist and this is a keto diet-friendly recipe, too!
- 28 oz Crushed Tomatoes
- 1/2 Onion Chopped
- 2-3 Cloves of Garlic Minced
- 1/2 Cup Carrots Shredded
- 1 Cup Roasted Red Peppers Jarred or Fresh
- 1/2 Cup Spinach Sliced into Thin Strips
- 1 lb Ground Beef or Turkey
- 6-8 Basil Leaves Fresh
- 1 1/2 TSP Italian Seasoning
- Olive Oil To Coat Pan
- 2 lbs Zucchini Noodles Store-Bought Fresh or Frozen
- Salt and Pepper To Taste
Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and onion and cook over medium-high heat until the onion is translucent about 4 minutes.
Add the ground beef or turkey, salt and pepper to taste and brown, about another 4 minutes.
When the meat is just about browned, add the fresh basil leaves and stir until wilted.
Remove the skillet from heat and drain off any liquids. Pour the seasoned meat mixture into a large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.
Combine the canned tomatoes, carrots, roasted peppers, spinach and Italian seasoning in a blender or food processor and blend until mostly smooth.
Add the blended veggies to the pot with the seasoned meat. Stir to combine all ingredients.
Simmer over medium to medium-high heat for about 35 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, use paper towels to blot the zoodles dry. You can heat them up gently in a non-stick skillet (about 3 minutes, medium-high) or the microwave (45 seconds).
Divide the zoodles into serving dishes and top with meat sauce with veggies.
Preparation Tip | Zoodles, especially frozen, have a high water content. Before you prep the meat sauce with veggies, set your zoodles aside in a large bowl lined with paper towels. Salt the zoodles just a bit to draw out any excess water and let them sit until you are ready to heat them up.
Leftovers Tip | Extra sauce will keep up to 5 days refrigerated or freeze for later use. Zoodles do not keep well. Try to prepare just enough for immediate use.
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Easy Low Carb Crockpot Recipes
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