Keto ‘Pasta’ Primavera and Meatballs

This is an update from an old post from years ago when zucchini noodles were popular. It was a good answer at the time (and really fun) to needing a low card noodle for meatball lovers. But zucchini zoodles are a bit mushy and leave something to be desired in taste.

Recently I ran across a recipe using celery root zoodles with a creamy chicken sauce. Setting that recipe aside for the moment, I wanted to see if celery root would be better than the zucchini zoodles with meatballs.

My old zoodle maker had worn out and I had been on the hunt for a better one until I found a very reputable company had come up with a different design. I bought it and it had been sitting in its box on the shelf for awhile when I ran across the celery root zoodle recipe. I wasn’t expecting a problem. I made the meatballs and when the ingredients for the ‘pasta’ primavera were all ready for the zoodles, I set up the new zoodle maker and cut the celery root to fit the tube that it was to be fed through. But the new design was not right for celery root, and the parts were not heavy duty enough to handle the density of celery root. To be able to continue with the recipe, I decided to just slice the celery root to look like noodles. After sautéing them, I flavored them with the mirepoix and green vegetable that I had ready to turn the ‘pasta’ into primavera. It came out great and really pretty. Success!

Keto ‘Pasta’ Primavera and Meatballs

Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

This recipe makes a lot of meatballs. Freeze half of them and make another batch (or two) of the ‘pasta’ later.

• 2 8 ounce boxes mushrooms, washed, stems trimmed, and sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 3 pounds ground dark meat turkey
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (24 month aged parmesan) grated cheese
• 4 eggs, beaten in a small bowl like you would for scrambled eggs
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
• 5 medium garlic cloves, minced, divided
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3 bottles of your favorite pasta sauce (Farm to Fork Tomato Basil is good)
• more freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano for topping

Instructions

Lay foil along the bottom part of a broiler/roasting pan to catch the drippings from the meat.

Sauté the mushrooms in the butter and oil until they begin to brown. Add 2 cloves minces garlic and sprinkle with salt. Continue to brown then set aside.

Mix the turkey, almond meal, cheese, eggs, parsley, 3 cloves minced garlic, 3 teaspoons salt, onion powder, pepper, fennel, oregano, Italian seasoning. Form 2 inch balls and set on a double roasting pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Add the garlic mushroom mixture to the pasta sauce and then the meatballs.

Freeze half of the meatballs (unless you’re feeding a crowd).

“Pasta” Primavera

Make the desired amount of batches depending on how much ‘pasta’ you want.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch (1 cup cooked) broccolini or baby broccoli, steamed until tender and cut small (I cut them in half and place the stems in for 3 minutes before adding the tops)
• l/2 cup onion, diced small
• 1/2 cup celery, diced small
• 1/2 cup carrot, diced small
• 2 tablespoon butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil, divided
• 1 large celery root, peeled and julienned
• salt

Instructions

Prepare the broccolini and set aside. Sauté the onion, celery and carrots (mirepoix) in half the butter and olive oil for 8 to 10 minutes until tender but not brown. Set aside. Sauté the celery root in the other half of the butter and olive oil for 12 minutes or until desired tenderness. Sprinkle with salt. Stir in the mirepoix and broccolini.

You can add some cooked normal or gluten free pasta to this if you want.