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Rosemary Quinoa Meatballs

You know how sometimes your dinners are everything that you imagined? You're having one of those nights when you're craving a specific dish, think you can recreate it gluten-free, but realize you don't have the right ingredients in your pantry. So you throw what you have in a bowl, mix it up, bake it, and hope for the best.

That happened to us last night. And the result was phenomenal.

Rosemary quinoa meatballs.

A glorious dinner, with some even leftover lunch. It was that good.

Rosemary Quinoa Meatballs | Gluten-Free | Queen of Quinoa

Let's start by saying I'm in love with spaghetti and meatballs. It's one of my favorite meals, and always reminds me of my wonderful family. My mother makes an insanely good tomato gravy, but even better meatballs. They're moist and tender, full of flavor, and pair perfectly with the deep red sauce. Red meat, parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs, everything that I don't eat.

But with these meatballs, I had to change it up. My fridge was not obliging my traditional recipe, so I spiced things up and used what I had. Turkey instead of beef, rosemary instead of parmesan cheese, and quinoa instead of breadcrumbs.

The meatballs were outrageous, in a good way of course. Full of flavor, totally juicy and utterly delicious. I chose to serve them over spaghetti squash (which saves big time in the calorie department and also adds a ton of nutrients to your meal), and with (gasp!) jarred tomato sauce. I was in a rush and ended up completely satisfied. The meal (and leftovers) were amazing.

Rosemary Quinoa Meatballs | Gluten-Free | Queen of Quinoa

Rosemary Quinoa Meatballs

A glorious dinner, with some even leftover lunch. It was that good.
author: Alyssa
yield: 4 Servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
  • 2 tablespoons toasted quinoa flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 large spaghetti squash seeded
  • 1 1/2 - 2 cups jarred or fresh tomato sauce, warmed
  • Freshly grated Locatelli cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fill a baking dish with 1/2-inch of water and place the spaghetti squash flesh side down. Bake until tender, about 20 - 30 minutes.
  • While the squash is baking, prepare the meatballs by adding all the remaining ingrediens (aside from the sauce) into a mixing bowl. Form the meat into meatballs (about 1-inch wide), and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Place on the lower shelf of the oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, rotating the meatballs halfway through.
  • Remove the meatballs and squash from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Scrape the squash out of the skin with two forks and serve into bowls. Top with tomato sauce and meatballs, sprinkled with fresh grated cheese.

Notes

gluten-free | dairy-free | sugar-free

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 1030mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1590IU | Vitamin C: 12.3mg | Calcium: 196mg | Iron: 4.8mg
cuisine: American
course: Entree

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Baking with Quinoa by Alyssa Rimmer | Queen of Quinoa

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