These grain-free spaghetti and meatballs put a perfect heritage twist on a classic meal! I went the longest time without ever having a traditional plate of spaghetti and meatballs, topped with some pasta sauce and cheese. When I did give spaghetti and meatballs a try, I was hooked! It is now one of my favorite meals and I love that I was able to find a delicious grain-free spaghetti option to pair with my famous meatballs. Honestly, my family thinks these are best meatballs they have ever had! Grain-free spaghetti with bison and sage meatballs is a new family favorite on the dinner menu!
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Modern Pioneer Recipe
While I would classify spaghetti and meatballs as a modern pioneer recipe, I think this particular version is border line a heritage pioneer recipe. The only hang up is the ground meat, which I don’t think the early pioneers would have had the resources to grind up the fresh meat they raised or hunted. Other than that, this recipe could easily be made into a heritage pioneer recipe, but more on that later.
As a modern pioneer recipe, this recipe is perfectly allergy-friendly! Like I mentioned before, I was so glad to discover an easy spaghetti option that was grain-free and gluten-free. Banza brand spaghetti and pasta is my favorite grain-free and gluten-free option for any of my pasta or spaghetti needs. They make all kinds of different pastas and spaghettis, and their main ingredient are chickpeas!
For this spaghetti and meatball recipe, I like to use their chickpea spaghetti or angelhair spaghetti to pair with my meatballs. Aside from the spaghetti being allergy-friendly, the rest of this recipe is also diet restriction friendly! It is…
- gluten-free
- grain-free
- dairy-free
- tree nut free
- sugar free
- corn free
For more recipes featuring Banza pasta, make sure you check out this amazing venison pasta salad or this delicious homemade mac’n’cheese recipe!
Sage + Bison
For the meatballs, I chose two pioneer-based ingredients: sage and bison. While I tend to make a lot of recipes using ground venison, because that is what I have the most on hand, I decided for this recipe I wanted to try something different. Bison, beef, and venison would have been some of the most common meats in the pioneer days, so I chose to use bison for this meatball recipe.
I also wanted to some earthy herbs to flavor the meatballs and give them an even more heritage taste. While I use variety of different herbs in this recipe, the herb that I wanted to stand out the most was sage. Sage and bison just seem to go together, and they certainly make a great pairing in this meatball recipe!
Here are a few benefits of eating bison and the herb sage.
Benefits of Bison
- Bison is a lean meat, meaning there is less fat content and it is lower in calories when compared to beef.
- It is a protein-rich meat that contains a higher protein content than beef.
- Bison is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, B-vitamins, and antioxidants.
- It is also rich in other essential vitamins and minerals like selenium and zinc.
- Always buy pasture-raised, free-range bison meat!
Benefits of Sage
- Packed with vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
- Provides essential minerals like magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, and iron.
- Sage is very high in antioxidants, which helps boost the immune system.
- Can support oral health, memory, brain health, and reduce blood sugar levels.
Classic Turned Heritage
Spaghetti and meatballs is definitely a classic recipe, but it can easily be turned into a heritage one too! From making your own noodles to mixing up your own pasta sauce, spaghetti and meatballs can easily be made from scratch in the modern pioneer kitchen!
Pioneer Noodles
Egg noodles are heritage pioneer recipe that the early settlers would have made on the homestead or camp cooks would have made in the chuckwagon. While I would love to share a grain-free version of egg noodles with you, I am saving that recipe for another special project that I hope to share in the Trading Post within the next year!
Pioneer Sauce
Making your own pasta sauce is also super simple! When it comes down to it, you are basically using herbs to create the perfect pasta sauce flavor. When I started shopping around for a healthy, no-sugar added pasta sauce to use with my spaghetti and meatball meals, I didn’t realize how many different flavors of pasta sauces you could choose from!
A quick glance at the ingredient lists proved that I could easily make my own pasta sauce right at home! It is also a great thing to consider canning in the fall, when tomatoes are in abundance.
Pioneer Meatballs
If you are further along in your modern pioneer journey and are raising livestock for meat purposes, you may even be able to use your own home-raised meat for this recipe. While I initially used ground bison for my meatballs, you can easily substitute in ground beef which would pair just as nicely with all the herbs used in this meatball recipe. Or in my case, I’ll probably use ground venison when I don’t want to buy bison to make these meatballs with.
And don’t forget, it’s pretty easy to grow all your own herbs to use in this recipe! All the herbs I used to make meatballs I harvested right from my homestead herb garden!
If you are looking for another delicious meatball recipe, make sure you check out these grain-free meatball subs! They have the most amazing flavor and are another popular meatball recipe in my family!
Serving & Storing
One thing I love about this spaghetti and meatballs recipe is that it is super simple and easy to make! I can easily make up the meatballs ahead of time and store them in the fridge or freezer. Cooked or uncooked, prepping the meatballs ahead of time and either cooking them or re-heating them makes this meal very simple to prepare. Whenever I make meatballs, I make a double recipe and use one for my meal and freeze the other batch for using later.
This would also be a perfect travel friendly meal for RV camping! My family is always looking for easy and simple recipes to take camping, and this would be one of them! The meatballs can be made up ahead of time and easily kept in the camper freezer. Then all we have to do is pack the spaghetti and canned pasta sauce and it makes for a super easy meal to pack on camping trips!
When it comes to serving this easy meal, there are so many options! Of course, when I think of classic spaghetti and meatballs, I think of spaghetti topped with meatballs, pasta sauce, and maybe some cheese. However, there are so many ways to spruce up or add variety to your spaghetti and meatballs! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Spaghetti & Meatball Ideas
- cheesy spaghetti and meatballs– add a little dairy-free cheese to the meatball recipe and mix in some cheese to the warm spaghetti
- basil pesto spaghetti and meatballs– instead of pasta sauce, use homemade basil pesto to flavor your spaghetti and meatballs
- veggie noodles and meatballs– use a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles or squash noodles to go with your meatballs
- spaghetti-less meatballs– if you are not a huge fan of spaghetti, try serving these meatballs with herbed quinoa or mashed potatoes
Recipe Tips
This grain-free spaghetti and meatballs recipe is super easy to make! The meatballs mix together easily and all you have to do in addition to that is cook the spaghetti and heat up the pasta sauce. I don’t think you should need too many tips for this classic meal, but here are few pointers that might answer any questions you have about this allergy-friendly version of spaghetti and meatballs.
- You can use any ground meat for the meatballs. However, the meats that pair the best with the herbs used are bison, beef, and venison.
- For the flour in the meatballs, you can easily substitute in arrowroot flour, cassava flour, or tigernut flour.
- If you don’t have coconut aminos on hand, you can use your favorite marinating dressing or vinaigrette instead.
- I have not tried making these meatballs egg free. The egg helps hold the meatballs together and adds some moisture to the recipe.
- Mixing the meat and ingredients all together with your hands is the easiest way to incorporate everything!
- The size of your meatballs will affect the cook time. Larger meatballs will take longer to cook. The ideal internal temperature for meatballs should be 160° Fahrenheit.
- Don’t undercook the Banza spaghetti! I usually cook mine at a rolling boil for 8-10 minutes. If the spaghetti is not done all the way it will get stiff after you strain it. It’s still delicious, but not quite spaghetti like!
These grain-free spaghetti and meatballs use heritage ingredients to turn this classic meal into an allergy-friendly modern pioneer recipe! This dinner meal has quickly become a favorite menu item in my house!
Grain-free Spaghetti & Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground bison, free-range & organic
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 2 T. coconut aminos
- 1 T. raw honey
- 1 medium free-range, organic egg
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 3 tsp. fresh sage, chopped
- 2 T. fresh chives, chopped
- 1 T. fresh parsley, chopped
- sprig of fresh rosemary chopped
- sprig of fresh thyme, chopped
Spaghetti
- 1/2 box Banza spaghetti
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1 cup organic pasta sauce, no-sugar added
Instructions
- Line a 9×13" glass baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl combine all of the meatball ingredients (not the spaghetti or the pasta sauce). Mix with a wooden spoon or with your hands.
- Break off tablespoon chunks of the meatball mixture and roll into balls. Place the meatballs on the parchment paper. You should be able to make 15-16 medium size meatballs.
- Bake the meatballs for 20-25 minutes. The internal temperature should read 160°F.
- While the meatballs are cooking, cook the spaghetti. Fill a large saucepan about half full. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
- Add the spaghetti and cook for 8-10 minutes. Strain the spaghetti and add the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir and cover until ready to serve.
- In a small saucepan, heat the pasta sauce until it is warm.
- Serve the cooked meatballs with the spaghetti and warm pasta sauce!
Where to Find the Ingredients
- Simply Organic onion powder
- Redmond sea salt
- Coconut Secret coconut aminos
- Pompeian organic extra virgin olive oil
- Bob’s Red Mill arrowroot flour
- Banza spaghetti
- Primal Kitchen organic pasta sauce
- Supplies: parchment paper, 9×13 glass baking pan, large saucepan
This allergy-friendly version of classic spaghetti and meatballs in no way compromises the satisfaction you should get from eating a bowl of this comfort food! Grain-free spaghetti and meatballs is a family favorite in my house, plus it is a super simple recipe that can easily be prepared ahead of time. From the grain-free noodles that have amazing taste and texture to the perfect meatballs that are flavorful and moist, this modern pioneer meal will quickly become a menu staple!
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by Alexa
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