Paleo Italian Meatballs

Meatballs
Eve Kolenko Copyright © 2016
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  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

For the sauce
2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3cloves garlic, minced
1can (28-ounces) diced tomatoes
1can (16-ounces) crushed tomatoes
2teaspoons dried oregano
1cup sliced cremini mushrooms
2tablespoons tomato paste
2tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Sea salt to taste
For the meatballs
1pound grass-fed ground beef
2cloves garlic, minced
1/3cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/3cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/3cup ground flax seeds
1large egg
1teaspoon sea salt
2 to 3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

For the sauce

  1. Heat a large saucepan to medium-high and add the olive oil. Add the onion and pepper, lower the heat to medium, and sauté for 8 minutes, until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring frequently.
  2. Stir in the diced and crushed tomatoes, the oregano, and salt. Let simmer for approximately 15 minutes.
  3. Add the mushrooms and the tomato paste to the pot. Cover and cook for another 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the meatballs, cover the pot, and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Add the fresh basil 10 minutes before you plan on serving the sauce.

For the meatballs

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, garlic, parsley, Romano, flax, egg, and salt, using your hands to mix all the ingredients together.
  2. Form the ground beef mixture into approximately 10 meatballs, allowing about 2 heaping tablespoons for each.
  3. Heat a large sauté pan to medium-high. Add the olive oil. Sauté the meatballs on all sides to brown them evenly, about 8-10 minutes total.
  4. Add the meatballs to pot of sauce and cook for another 30 minutes, as described in step 4 of recipe above. The meatballs will still be undercooked when you add them to the sauce. They will finish cooking in the sauce. If you are making them without the sauce, finish by baking the meatballs in a preheated 375°F oven for another 15 minutes.

Tip: Both the sauce and the meatballs can be made in bigger batches and kept frozen. You can freeze the meatballs right along with the sauce and heat them back up together in a pot over medium heat.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Eat Drink Shine © 2016 by The Blissful Sisters: Jennifer, Jessica, and Jill Emich, Kyle Books