This is another Paleoleap.com favorite. I changed the name of this recipe from “Meatball Bites with Spaghetti Squash,” to “Meatballs in a Haystack” because I thought it sounded more interesting. At least to kids. Even though my kids didn’t know what a haystack was… What the heck?
Either way, this meal is a dairy free wheat free party in your mouth. It’s so darn good! And the leftovers are even better the day after.
First, To get started on the Haystacks: preheat the oven to 425. Cut a spaghetti squash in half length-wise and remove seeds. Place on a cookie sheet cut-side down, and bake for 25-30 minutes.
To make the Meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
½ tbsp. dried parsley
½ tbsp. dried basil
½ tbsp. dried thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mix all meatball ingredients together and form into one inch balls. Saute in pan over medium heat until browned on all sides.
To make the Tomato Sauce:
2 cups good quality tomato sauce (Trader Joes is as “good quality” as we need over here.)
1 garlic clove, minced (Remember, I never cut my own!)
½ tbsp. dried parsley
½ tbsp. dried basil
½ tbsp. dried thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
(I ended up doubling this because there’s no such thing as too much sauce!)
Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl and pour over the meatballs in the pan, cooking for an additional 7-10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
For the Haystacks:
Once the squash is done turn the oven down to 350 for the meatballs. Use a big spoon to scrape out the “pulp” (is that right??) and be amazed by the spaghetti-like texture. It adds a creaminess to the dish too which is pretty heavenly for a non-dairy eater.
In a bowl mix together the spaghetti squash with four egg whites. Then put the mixture in a muffin tin, creating a “nest” for your meatballs. You might want to use two muffin pans as one seemed a bit crowded.
Place a meatball (with a little sauce) in each nest and then bake for 15 minutes.
Serve with the extra sauce. (This is what it looked like before I made the double batch of sauce and drenched it.) It was deeeeelicious people. Try it, double it, and then eat it for days! XO
