Wheat Free Sunday Sauce with Herb-Spiced Meatballs
Rich, slow-simmered tomato sauce and herb-spiced meatballs are the kind of Sunday cooking that fills the whole house with something that smells like a promise. The meatballs get their binding from almond flour instead of breadcrumbs, which means the entire dish is completely free of wheat without any awkward substitutions or compromised texture. A blend of ground beef and pork keeps them tender and flavorful, while fennel seeds, turmeric, and fresh parsley give each bite a depth that goes well beyond a basic weeknight dinner. The sauce is built low and slow — San Marzano tomatoes crushed by hand, tomato paste cooked down to a deep brick-red, and a long simmer with the meatballs nestled right in — so every component absorbs the flavor of everything around it. Roasting the meatballs first at high heat locks in a browned crust before they ever touch the sauce, which makes a real difference in the final result. Serve it over your favorite wheat-free pasta or grain and finish with torn fresh basil and a drizzle of good olive oil for a bowl that feels genuinely celebratory.
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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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