Okay, so I know “zoodles” is a word (zucchini noodles=zoodles), but because I’m not so sure noodles & meatballs is a thing, I’m calling this Zaghetti and Meatballs. And this is totally tongue-in-cheek, by the way, for anyone who is new to me and my brand of “I’m too busy/dark & stormy to get cute.” Or whatever we’ll call it. Even when I’m going through a phase where I’m getting what I want on the regular and everything is good, I just don’t have it in me to be, like, “Adorable Wordplay!”

Hence, Zaghetti with a side of dry laughter.

All you have to do is wash a zucchini, cut the tip off, and spiralize using whichever tool you favor. I did mine in a Vegetti (say that 3 times fast). You can zap the zaghetti (I’m ready to stop calling it that) in the microwave or drop into boiling water for a minute.

Then you add the meatballs and sauce.  I made these turkey meatballs in tomato sauce because they’re a delicious no-brainer, even for germ-phobes like me who get squeamish around raw meat and ask their gentlemen callers to wash their hands when they come over. Me, neurotic? This could, of course, have something to do with why so few gentlemen even get to that hand-washing stage (unless it’s that I often talk way too soon about the best way to kill a lobster), but I’m too old to keep my quirks under wraps. Eventually someone’s going to find out who you really are.

Speaking of people finding out who you are, if you’re new to this blog, let it be known that yes, I’m a dietitian, and yes, I eat carbohydrates.  These meatballs have carbs in them too. Sorry, paleo peeps. I’m sure you can fill in the blanks with some almond meal or coconut flour.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion, divided
• 1 cup parsley
• 1 lb ground turkey
• ¼ c breadcrumbs or 1 slice whole wheat bread, toast and crumbled
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Dice half of the onion and mince 1 cloves garlic. Set aside.
2. In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and add the diced onion and minced garlic Cook until soft.
3. Add tomatoes and oregano and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low.
4. Meanwhile, in a food processor, process the other onion half, 2 cloves garlic, and parsley.
5. Combine parsley mixture with breadcrumbs, cheese, turkey meat, and egg. Mix well with hands and form into meatballs
6. and place on a large plate or cookie sheet. You should end up with 24-28 meatballs.
7. Heat the other tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Cook meatballs 4-5 minutes on each side.
8. Add meatballs to sauce and simmer another 20 minutes
9. Serve hot over pasta or steamed greens. Top with more cheese if desired.

I know the point of spiralized vegetables in place of pasta is supposed to be, like, low-carb or high-raw or something, but I prefer to think of it as simply a fun change of pace, something new to try. Because zucchini is not the most filling of the spiralize-able veggies, I added some white beans to this because fiber. Otherwise, I’d have been hungry again in an hour.

You can spiralize all kinds of veggies—beets, carrots, butternut squash, summer squash. This is a fun, easy way to fit more vegetables into your diet and try new flavor combinations.

However, I would not recommend making this for a new partner the first time they come over for dinner unless you already now they’re an adventurous eater. Not like I’ve ever learned anything like that the hard way before or anyway.

Have you ever made spiraled veggies before? 

This post was sponsored by Tuttorosso tomatoes, as part of an Inspiralized cookbook promotion. Opinions and recipe above are my own.