Xanthan Gum Free Sunday Sauce with Herb-Spiced Meatballs
This is the kind of slow-simmered, deeply savory sauce that makes your whole kitchen smell like an Italian grandmother lives there. The meatballs are a blend of beef and pork, seasoned with fennel seeds, turmeric, and fresh parsley, then roasted at high heat before they ever touch the sauce — giving them a gorgeous browned crust that holds up through a long, gentle simmer. Almond flour stands in as the binder here, which means the whole dish comes together without any gums or stabilizers that can sneak into store-bought breadcrumbs or pre-made mixes. The sauce itself is built low and slow from San Marzano tomatoes, tomato paste, and layers of aromatics, developing a rich, brick-red depth that no jarred version can touch. Finishing with torn fresh basil and a drizzle of good olive oil keeps everything bright against all that savory richness. Serve it over pasta, polenta, or whatever grain you love — this sauce is generous enough to work with just about anything.
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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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