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Zoodles with Turkey Meatballs in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

January 23, 2016 by Megan 32 Comments

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Zoodles with turkey spinach meatballs in a creamy roasted red pepper sauce is light, healthy and so delicous! Gluten-free and dairy-free, this meal is even great for a Whole 30 diet! 

Zoodles with Turkey Meatballs in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (GF, DF) - A Dash of Megnut

I’ve hopped aboard the zoodle train! Choo Choo!

In case you’ve been living under a rock (who am I kidding.. it took me forever to make zoodles), a zoodle is a zucchini noodle, hence the name zoodle. Looks like pasta, twirls like pasta, and somewhat sort of tastes like pasta… Let’s be real, are we going to fool anyone into thinking we are actually eating pasta? That’s a big NO. But! Does it still satisfy a hankering for pasta since we can twirl it around our forks and smother it in delicious roasted red pepper sauce? Yes! Indeed it does!

Jump to the Recipe

I just received a vegetable spiralizer for Christmas and I could not be more in love. From zucchini to beets to sweet potatoes, I can spiralize ANYTHING! Zucchini seemed like a safe first attempt at spiralizing veggies and now I’ve gone crazy for them! For someone who doesn’t eat a whole lot of gluten-free pasta, vegetable noodles are kind of awesome. Because while they look like pasta, they aren’t trying to BE pasta. Sorry to the gluten-free pastas out there.. until someone finds me an awesome gluten-free brand to make me feel differently. 

Zoodles with Turkey Meatballs in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (GF, DF) - A Dash of Megnut

This zoodle with turkey meatballs in a roasted red pepper sauce recipe is seriously my new favorite meal. It’s gluten-free and dairy-free, of course, but also great for the Whole 30 diet (and probably paleo but I’m not as with it on those requirements). The turkey spinach meatballs are moist, even without the addition of any eggs or breadcrumbs. I literally was eating them off the pan while I was trying to take pictures of them. The roasted red pepper sauce is also amazing – it’s simple, light, and indulgent all at the same time if that’s even possible. I just roasted some red bell peppers in the oven while I was prepping my meatballs, then I threw it in a food processor with some garlic, onions, almond milk, spices and oil. Easy squeezey, roasted bell pepper peasy. That’s how that saying goes right? When you combine the zoodles, roasted red bell pepper sauce and turkey meatballs together it’s just pure MAGIC and a healthy dinner too! 

Next up  on the spiralizing to-do list, SWEET POTATO NOODLES! Get ready friends! 

*This post contains affiliate links for products that I use and love. I may receive a small commission from any purchases you make through that link. There will be no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting A Dash of Megnut!**

Zoodles with Turkey Meatballs in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (GF, DF) - A Dash of Megnut

5 from 1 vote
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Zoodles with Turkey Meatballs in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 393 kcal
Author Megan

Ingredients

For the Zoodles

  • 4 zucchini
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

For the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:

  • 2 red bell peppers cut into 4 pieces (seeds removed)
  • 4 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil divided
  • 1/4 cup diced onion about 1/2 medium onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 4 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

For the Meatballs

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1/2 cup packed fresh spinach chopped
  • 2 tbsp coconut flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. On a baking sheet, toss red bell peppers and 1 tablespoon of oil together and lay in a single layer. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until the bell peppers are tender and there are some black char marks.
  3. In the meantime, start making your turkey meatballs. In a large bowl combine ground turkey, spinach, coconut flour, salt, thyme, oregano, garlic, 1 tablespoon of oil and black pepper. Mix until combined well. Roll into small meatballs - you'll get about 15 out of a batch. Line a baking sheet with foil and place meatballs on the sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until baked through.
  4. While the meatballs are cooking, in a small skillet, combine 1/4 cup diced onion and 1 clove of garlic in 1 tbsp of oil. Saute for 5 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add to a food processor with the bell pepper when it's ready. Then also add almond milk, oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt, black pepper, 2 tbsp of avocado oil or olive oil. Process until combined and smooth.
  5. Use a vegetable spiralizer to turn the zucchini into noodles. In a skillet (can be the same one we used before), add the zucchini with the oil and saute for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  6. To assemble, top the zucchini with the roasted red pepper sauce and 3-4 meatballs.

Recipe Notes

*I use this spiralizer (affiliate link)

Nutrition Facts
Zoodles with Turkey Meatballs in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 393 Calories from Fat 216
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 37%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 62mg 21%
Sodium 1124mg 47%
Potassium 1007mg 29%
Total Carbohydrates 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 5g 20%
Sugars 8g
Protein 30g 60%
Vitamin A 52.7%
Vitamin C 137.4%
Calcium 7.3%
Iron 15.2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Zoodles with Turkey Meatballs in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (GF, DF) - A Dash of Megnut

Zoodles with Turkey Meatballs in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce - have your "pasta" and eat it too! These zucchini noodles will leave you satisified and full. The best part? It's gluten-free, dairy-free and Whole 30 compliant! Recipe from A Dash of Megnut at www.adashofmegnut.com

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Filed Under: Chicken, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Healthy, Main course, Pasta, Recipes

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Comments

  1. Ivanna says

    January 25, 2016 at 9:14 am

    This sounds yummy I totally need to give Zoodles a try!

    Reply
  2. shayla says

    January 25, 2016 at 1:45 pm

    Yum! I need to buy a spiralizer, that’s it!

    Reply
  3. Allie Barke says

    January 25, 2016 at 4:49 pm

    This looks delicious! And I love that little gif at the end!
    xo
    http://alliesfashionalley.com

    Reply
  4. Amanda says

    April 9, 2016 at 12:30 am

    Omg this was AMAZING!!! The sauce alone is incredible.

    Reply
    • Megan says

      April 13, 2016 at 7:28 am

      Thanks so much Amanda!!

      Reply
  5. Leah Parker says

    April 17, 2016 at 9:30 am

    Delicious dinner! I could eat this sauce like soup! (and might actually do that :))

    Reply
  6. Heather Werner says

    May 20, 2016 at 2:32 pm

    This meal was awesome! I’m having a hard time getting my husband to do Whole 30 with me, but this was a hit. I did add an egg to the meatballs (simply to use it up) and I stick blended the roasted red pepper sauce, because digging my food processor out of my cabinet is a pain. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Samantha says

    June 6, 2017 at 10:41 pm

    I’ve made this a handful of times and it gets better and better! I add a few extra spices I love and it always comes out amazing. I mix it all together with the sauce with a side salad and a piece of garlic toast, voila! Wish I had the nutrition info 🙁

    Reply
    • Megan says

      July 9, 2017 at 12:26 pm

      Love that you add more spices to make it your own Samantha! I don’t put the nutritional info on any of my recipes.. but you can use a site like My Fitness Pal and add the link to this recipe on the site and it will give you all the nutritional info! Hope this helps!

      Reply
  8. Katie Freeman says

    June 28, 2017 at 5:25 pm

    How can I make the sauce a tad sweeter? Tastes a little bland to me.

    Reply
    • Megan says

      July 9, 2017 at 12:25 pm

      Hi Katie, I find that the garlic and spices in the recipe should add enough flavor, as does roasting the peppers. I would first try adding more garlic if you would like even more flavor in the sauce. However, if you would like to make a sweeter sauce, you can always add sugar, honey or brown sugar to the recipe. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  9. Kristina says

    October 10, 2017 at 4:58 pm

    Is the packed spinach the defrosted frozen kind? Or is it fresh chopped? Also, are the spices fresh or dried? Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Megan says

      October 10, 2017 at 7:51 pm

      Hi Kristina! Thanks for asking – the spinach is fresh chopped and the spices are dried. I’ve updated the recipe to clarify 🙂

      Reply
  10. Tara Quinn says

    February 5, 2018 at 2:24 pm

    Will the meatballs hold up if made in advance the day before the were cooked/ate? I would like to be able to prep them the night before, after the kids are in bed.

    Thanks!
    Tara

    Reply
    • Megan says

      February 5, 2018 at 3:03 pm

      Hi Tara! Yes! You can definitely prep them the night before and just keep them covered in the refrigerator. We also tend to cook a bunch on Sundays and eat them throughout the week for lunch and dinner – so that’s another option Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Tara Quinn says

        February 6, 2018 at 8:36 am

        Awesome! Thanks Megan! 🙂

        Reply
  11. Robin says

    February 20, 2018 at 12:01 pm

    Do you happen to know about how many calories/nutritional info for one serving?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Megan says

      February 20, 2018 at 1:27 pm

      Hi Robin! I just updated the recipe to include nutritional information. It may vary a little depending on the brands of products you use. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  12. Ashleigh says

    March 17, 2018 at 12:57 pm

    Hi – would it be OK to use almond flour instead of coconut? Would the amount of oil need to be adjusted? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Megan says

      March 17, 2018 at 1:48 pm

      Hi Ashleigh! Almond flour will work just fine. You shouldn’t need to adjust the amount of oil in the meatball but if for some reason it isn’t moist enough, just add about 1/2 tbsp. Hope this helps!

      Reply
      • Ashleigh says

        March 17, 2018 at 2:25 pm

        Thanks so much for the fast reply! I read online that coconut flour absorbs more moisture, so almond flour requires less – but that was specifically for baked goods, so I had a feeling it wouldn’t apply here 🙂 I can’t wait to make this. Thanks again!

        Reply
  13. Jess says

    April 11, 2018 at 9:17 am

    wow!!! this turned out amazing!!! definitely adding it to my list! i added a jalepeno as well with the peppers and added some hot paprika so it got a bit spicier!

    LOVE IT!

    Reply
    • Megan says

      April 12, 2018 at 6:50 pm

      YESSS! I absolutely LOVE your additions to make it spicier! I’m admittedly a huge spice wimp 🙂

      Reply

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About Me

Hi there! I'm Megan: a gluten-free food blogger from Chicago and lover of all things food. I create quick and easy gluten-free recipes that the whole family will love! Read More…

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Megan is a food blogger specializing in gluten-free and other allergy friendly recipes. Read More…

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