Gluten Free Sunday Sauce with Herb-Spiced Meatballs
Rich, slow-simmered tomato sauce with tender herb-spiced meatballs is the kind of Sunday cooking that fills the whole house with an aroma that's almost impossible to resist. The meatballs get their binding from almond flour instead of breadcrumbs, which means the entire dish is naturally free of wheat without any awkward substitutions or compromised texture. A blend of fennel seeds, turmeric, parsley, and garlic gives the meat mixture serious depth, while roasting the meatballs at high heat before they ever hit the sauce locks in a beautiful browned crust. San Marzano tomatoes and a generous spoonful of tomato paste form the backbone of the sauce, cooked low and slow until it thickens into something deeply savory and glossy. Nestling the roasted meatballs into that sauce for a long, gentle simmer is what takes this from weeknight dinner to something you'd proudly set on the table for company. Finish with torn fresh basil and a drizzle of good olive oil, and serve it over your favorite gluten-free pasta or grain for a complete, satisfying meal.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
- ½ lb ground pork
- ½ cup almond flour
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the sauce
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 cans (28 oz each) whole peeled san marzano tomatoes
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
For serving
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, almond flour, eggs, parsley, minced garlic, fennel seeds, turmeric, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Mix with your hands until just combined — stop as soon as no streaks remain.
- 2
Roll the meat mixture into balls about 1½ inches in diameter (roughly 24 meatballs) and arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and roll to coat.
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