Skip the carb bloat with this delicious Keto Spaghetti, made with zucchini noodles instead of pasta, then drenched in Keto marinara, topped with meatballs, and garnished with freshly grated parmesan cheese and basil! It’s family approved and comfort food at it’s best!
This post was originally published on December 19, 2018, and has been updated with fresh content and images, plus we’ve added a video!
If I could choose one single pasta dish to have every day for the rest of my life, it would be spaghetti and meatballs. The way the spaghetti twirls around a fork, rich marinara sauce with every bite and of course juicy and flavour packed meatballs. Garnished with a handful of basil and freshly grated parmesan? It really doesn’t get much better.
Until now.
One thing I always hate about pasta is the way I feel after I eat it. Spaghetti and Meatballs is such a heavy dish, I always walk away wishing I had eaten just a little bit less. Ever since I started replacing spaghetti noodles with zoodles, I’ve been way more satisfied after dinner. No more carb bloat, no guilt hanging over my head, just a happy tummy and very happy taste buds.
Ingredients
Marinara Sauce – Pasta sauce right off the shelf generally has sugar added. This is why it’s important to read the labels before choosing which one to buy, or play it safe and make your own low carb spaghetti sauce. This Keto Marinara Sauce is super easy to make and can be ready in just 10 minutes!
Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning – One of my favourite homemade seasonings, (right up there with Keto Taco Seasoning) Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning is full of flavour and not just made for spaghetti! This awesome seasoning adds flavour to all sorts of Keto dishes such as Calzones, Biscuits and Pizza Crust!
Basil – Make sure you buy your basil fresh. I would recommend using it within a couple of days from purchase because it tends to go brown fairly quickly.
Parmesan – Grate your parmesan fresh! Use either grana padano or parmigiano reggiano; trust me, you will notice a huge difference in flavour in your Keto Spaghetti!
How to make Low Carb Spaghetti
The Sauce
Make the Keto Marinara and then remove ¼ cup to cool, then continue to heat the remaining sauce on a low simmer while making the meatballs. If using store bought sauce, set ¼ cup aside and then simmer the rest on low heat until thick.
The Meatballs
Dump almond flour into a mixing bowl and then shred the onion over top. Mix the onion into the almond flour until fully combined.
Peel the garlic and mince it finely or press it through a garlic press, mince the parsley, chop the basil and whisk the egg. Add each to the bowl along with the grated parmesan, salt, pepper, spicy spaghetti seasoning and then the cooled Keto Marinara. Mix well and then knead in the ground beef.
Using a kitchen scale for accuracy, divide the mixture into 16 portions, shaping each into a ball.
Heat a skillet on medium heat with 1 tbsp oil. Place the meatballs evenly around the skillet, being sure to not overcrowd the skillet.
Fry until the internal temperature of the meatballs have reached 165°, carefully turning them over and around the skillet until fully cooked.
Place the meatballs inside the slightly simmering sauce and stir to coat.
The Zucchini Noodles
Run the zucchinis through a vegetable spiralizer to create picture perfect Keto pasta noodles.
Toss them with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper.
I find the zucchini noodles soften perfectly when the hot sauce is poured over top. Soft, with a teeny bit of a crunch. If you like them super soft, with zero crunch, they can be cooked:
Optional – How to cook Zucchini Noodles
Heat a skillet on medium heat with 1 tbsp oil. Once hot, add the zucchini noodles and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until the zucchini is vibrant in colour. You want them nice and soft, but be careful not to over cook. They turn from perfectly cooked to mushy in no time.
*Cooking zucchini noodles will also shrink them down quite a bit!
Serve
Divide the zucchini noodles between 4 bowls, top each dish with 4 meatballs and then divide the sauce evenly between them. Garnish each dish with freshly grated parmesan and chopped basil. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- I like to use a kitchen scale to divide the meatballs. I find it way easier to divide them into 16 portions, and then they cook more evenly. They are a great tool to have in the kitchen anyways, and don’t cost very much. Of course, you can absolutely just eyeball your meatballs!
- Be careful when moving the meatballs around the skillet, at least until most of the sides have browned. These meatballs are super juicy, so are delicate until the crust has been formed.
- If you don’t have a vegetable spiralizer, check out this video to learn how to make them without.
- If you decide to cook the zucchini noodles, be sure not to let them overcook. They cook pretty quickly and will turn mushy if you aren’t careful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which store bought spaghetti sauce is Keto friendly?
I live in a small town where the only brand of Keto friendly pasta sauce I can find is over 10$ for a single jar! That would be Rao’s marinara sauce. This is, 100%, the reason I create my very own Keto Marinara Sauce. It takes just 10 minutes and costs me just a couple of bucks.
If you live somewhere where there is a larger selection of sauces, you may be able to find one that is affordable. Besides Rao’s, other Keto friendly pasta sauces to try are: Victoria marinara sauce, Prego no added sugar pasta sauce or Thrive marinara.
What pasta can I eat on Keto?
My favourite Keto pasta is definitely zucchini noodles because they are delicious and nutritious! There are other Keto pastas you can try if zucchini noodles aren’t your favourite. Miracle Noodles are plant based and come in at 0g net carbs! Hearts of Palm is another plant based noodle and comes in at 1g net carb per serving. Spaghetti squash can easily be made at home for yummy vegetable noodles, or you can try your hand at homemade Keto pasta noodles from scratch.
What goes with Keto Spaghetti?
My favourite dishes to pair with this low carb spaghetti are definitely Low Carb Caesar Salad and this 7 Minute Keto Garlic Bread. Keto Flatbread is another great side dish, or Broccoli Salad with Bacon & Cheddar!
View our post 61 Easy Low Carb Dinners That Are Quick and Family Approved
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Keto Spaghetti and Meatballs with Zucchini Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 batch Keto Marinara or 1 jar sugar free pasta sauce *see note 1
- fresh basil *see note 2
- parmigiano reggiano or grana padano freshly grated *see note 3
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey
- 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ½ small onion white or yellow
- 2 cloves garlic
- 12 basil leaves *see note 2
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano or grana padano *see note 3
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning *see note 4
- 1 egg whisked
- ¼ cup of the Keto Marinara
Zucchini Noodles
- 2 zucchinis
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- Optional – 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
Instructions
Equipment Needed
- Medium saucepan
- Mixing bowl
- Cheese grater
- Large skillet
Directions
Sauce
- Make the Keto Marinara and then remove ¼ cup to cool, then continue to heat the remaining sauce on a low simmer while making the meatballs. If using store bought sauce, set ¼ cup aside and then simmer the rest on low heat until thick.
Meatballs
- Dump almond flour into a mixing bowl and then shred the onion over top using a cheese grater. Mix the onion into the almond flour until fully combined.
- Peel the garlic and mince it finely or press it through a garlic press, mince the parsley, chop the basil and whisk the egg. Add each to the bowl along with the grated parmesan, salt, pepper, spicy spaghetti seasoning and then the cooled marinara. Mix well and then knead in the ground beef.
- Using a kitchen scale for accuracy, divide the mixture into 16 portions, shaping each into a ball *see note 5.
- Heat a skillet on medium heat with 1 tbsp oil. Place the meatballs evenly around the skillet, being sure to not overcrowd the skillet. Fry until the internal temperature of the meatballs have reached 165°, carefully turning them over and around the skillet until fully cooked *see note 6.
- Place the meatballs inside the slightly simmering sauce and stir to coat.
Zucchini Noodles
- Run the zucchinis through a vegetable spiralizer to create picture perfect Keto pasta noodles *see note 7. Toss them with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper.
- I find the zucchini noodles soften perfectly when the hot sauce is poured over top. Soft, with a teeny bit of a crunch. If you like them super soft, with zero crunch, they can be fried:
How to cook Zucchini Noodles
- Heat a skillet on medium heat with 1 tbsp oil. Once hot, add the zucchini noodles and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until the zucchini is vibrant in colour. You want them nice and soft, but be careful not to over cook. They turn from perfectly cooked to mushy in no time. Cooking zucchini noodles will also shrink them down quite a bit!
Serve
- Divide the zucchini noodles between 4 bowls, top each dish with 4 meatballs and then divide the sauce evenly between them. Garnish each dish with freshly grated parmesan and chopped basil. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Pasta sauce right off the shelf generally has added sugar. This is why it’s important to read the labels before choosing which one to buy, or play it safe and make your own Keto Marinara in just 10 minutes!
- Make sure you buy your basil fresh. I would recommend using it within a couple of days from purchase because it tends to go brown fairly quickly.
- Grate your parmesan fresh! Use either grana padano or parmigiano reggiano; trust me, you will notice a huge difference in flavour in your Keto Spaghetti!
- One of my favourite homemade seasonings (right up there with Keto Taco Seasoning) is this Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning. It’s full of flavour and not just made for spaghetti! This awesome seasoning adds flavour to all sorts of Keto dishes such as Calzones, Biscuits and Pizza Crust!
- I like to use a kitchen scale to divide the meatballs. I find it way easier to divide them into 16 portions, and then they cook more evenly. They are a great tool to have in the kitchen anyways, and don’t cost very much. Of course, you can absolutely just eyeball your meatballs!
- Be careful when moving the meatballs around the skillet, at least until most of the sides have browned. These meatballs are super juicy, so are delicate until the crust has been formed.
- If you don’t have a vegetable spiralizer, check out this video to learn how to make them without.
- If you decide to cook the zucchini noodles, don’t over cook them. They cook pretty quickly and will turn mushy if you aren’t careful.
Nutrition
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I can totally relate with you on the pasta bloat feeling! Not a fun time at all! I am definitely a huge fan of veggie noodles, especially zoodles. I even got my zucchini-hating husband to eat them! I’m sure he would love them with your beautiful and flavorful meatballs! Ah, that photo of them with the steam coming off has totally got me drooling! A perfect dinner! 🙂
Sherri you are too sweet! Thanks so much 🙂
I am in love with my spiralizer and I use it often. My goto for noodles is zucchini noodles. These meatballs look so perfect and the flavors sound wonderful.
Thanks so much Veena! I love my spiralizer as well, zucchini noodles really are the best!
I’ve grown to love low carb dishes since my daughter picked up keto. It’s sometimes hard to feel full or warm when you skimp on carbs. But this dish looks perfectly hearty and nourishing. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Analida!
Such a great recipe for our family, since we are hitting the gym and trying to eat a little healthier this year! Looks so tasty!
Thanks Jessica 🙂
Those meatballs look amazing! I don’t have a spiralizer but now I feel inspired to try one out! I also really love zucchini, I want to try this recipe.
I LOVE my spiralizer! One of the best things I’ve purchased. You can make a massive batch of zoodles in seconds!
It’s hard for an Italian to give up pasta 🙂 , but I would give this a try, minus the meatballs since I’m vegetarian. It looks good and good looking.
It would be excellent with vegetarian meatballs too!
As an Italian I cannot give up pasta but that’s not to say I can’t enjoy zoodles because we do immensely. In fact that’s the only Hubby wants his zucchini now. It is such a great way to serve it and we’ve even stir fried it. We haven’t served it with out meatballs but we’ll have to give that a try too.
Thanks Marisa, I love it stir fried as well!
Yum! I love zoodles, and those meatballs! Look absolutely delicious!
Thanks Anne!
I’ve completely forgotten about zoodles! They’re good in so many different things, this looks like no exception!
Thanks Leslie 🙂
So – I’ve been eating zoodles with my spaghetti for a long time now…but what I learned from your post is that spaghetti squash is a good substitute! Ok duh! It’s in the name and I’ve never once thought of making spaghetti with a spaghetti squash! I’m so doing that next! Your recipes looks AMAZING! Thanks for the inspiration!!
Hahaha right?! Love that it’s right there in the name! I prefer zucchini noodles but my husband goes crazy when I make spaghetti squash!
Zoodles and meatballs! My favorite gluten-free dinner! Love that the sauce has a bit of a kick to it! I love a little bit of spice with my spaghetti!
Thanks Krista 🙂
One of my best zoodles recipe. That meat sauce looks sooooo good and I wouldn’t mind eating two servings of this low carb spaghetti! Healthy and yummy
Thanks Jo!