Creamy Spaghetti and Meatballs with Fried Sage ~ Dairy free

There's something so comforting about curling up on the couch with a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. It's simple wholesome, bowl food at its best, but that's not to say that it can't be made to serve for friends and family which always impresses. 

The creaminess of this sauce comes from ground almonds, and pureeing the vegetable sauce. Even though the recipe seems long it's actually rather simple. The herbs in the sauce are the same as those in the meatballs and once the sauce is prepared the meatballs just simmer gently in the sauce. This means that none of the delicious meat juice is wasted and instead enhances the richness of the sauce. Also, you'll notice that the sauce includes the slightly odd ingredient of baking soda. I find that this actually balances the flavour fantastically. It adds a richness to the tomato which would usually be enhanced with the addition of sugar. Try it and see for yourself. 

You can easily make this paleo* or gluten free by using zucchini noodles** or substituting for gluten free spaghetti. 

Ingredients (serves 4): 

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tbsp garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp dried oregano 
• 2 tsp dried sage (or 2 tbsp fresh chopped) 
• 6 basil leaves
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup good quality red wine 
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 red capsicum, diced
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes  
• 4 tbsp ground almonds
• 2 tsp baking soda
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional: fresh herbs (parsley, basil, sage) 

Meatball Mix:

• 500 gram minced meat (either beef, pork or half and half) 
• 1/2 a cup of breadcrumbs (use gluten free if making gluten free, or 1/4 cup of ground almonds if making paleo) 
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley 
• 2 tbsp finely chopped sage
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp cracked pepper
• 3 tbsp ground almonds

To serve: 

• 300grams of spaghetti, cooked according to packet directions 
• or 4 zucchini's spiralized
• 16 - 20 sage leaves 
• 30 grams of butter, olive oil or coconut oil (for dairy free/paleo). 

First prepare the meatball mixture. Combine all ingredients and set aside in the fridge. 

Heat the oil on a low heat, in a large saucepan with a lid. Gently saute the onion, garlic, dried oregano and sage, and fresh basil leaves. Cook for 3 - 5 minutes till softened. 

Pour in the wine, and simmer for 30 seconds before adding the remaining diced vegetables. Saute for another 5 minutes, stirring often. 

Add the ground almonds and tinned tomatoes and top up with half a can of water. Simmer for another 3-5 minutes till vegetables are all soft. 

Remove 3/4 of the sauce mix to a food processor or blender and mix to make a thick sauce. Return to the pan. Add the baking soda, it will foam up a little, stir until the bubbling stops, then taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. 

Take the meatball mix from the fridge and use wet hands to shape the mixture into 21 even sized meatballs (about ping-pong ball sized). I say 21, so that you have a sacrificial taste-tester at the end. As you roll the balls, drop them into the pasta sauce, repeat until all of the mixture is used. 

Place the lid on the pan and reduce the heat so that the sauce simmers gently. After ten minutes, gently stir the meatballs to turn them all and coat them in the sauce. 

Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. This is a good time to get the pasta on the boil in a large pot of salted water (for as long as the packet directs). Once cooked, drain well and toss in 3 tbsp of olive oil, this keeps the pasta from sticking to itself. 

After the second simmer, choose a sacrificial meatball to remove from the sauce and cut in half. Check that it is cooked right the way through, and if it is, of course you'll need to perform some quality assurance testing and taste it. 

To serve, stir through a handful of fresh, chopped herbs into the sauce. 

Dish the spaghetti (or zucchini noodles) into bowls. Serve topped with 5 meatballs and a large ladle of sauce. 

In a clean frying pan heat your butter, olive oil or coconut oil. Add the sage leaves and allow them to get coated. Sizzle on a medium heat till crisp. Top the bowls with the fried sage leaves. This makes a lovely alternative to parmesan.
If you don't have fresh sage, you could just as easily toast a few tablespoons of ground almonds with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 clove of crushed garlic, till golden. This also makes a tasty dairy free pasta topping. 

*If going for the paleo version simply remove the breadcrumbs from the meatball mix and replace with an extra 1/4 cup of ground almonds. 

**To make zucchini noodles spiralize 4 zucchinis and toss through 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1/2 a tsp of salt. Eat immediately or refrigerate. These will keep till the next day and also make great leftovers. I eat them raw, with the hot sauce if eating them that day, but if eating the next day I'll heat them with the sauce.