Mongolian Meatballs & Spaghetti

Another Meatball recipe? You better believe it! This time I'm putting an Asian spin on the classic spaghetti and meatballs.

Scallion, ginger meatballs are stir-fried together with crisp peppers, carrots and snow peas and tossed with a Mongolian-inspired sauce. And while you could certainly serve this dish over spaghetti, I prefer to reach for ramen noodles.

For those searching for a gluten-free alternative, my husband and I fancy Lotus Brown Rice Ramen. You'll find this brand on Amazon. The noodles come packaged in neat little bales just as you would the typical Maruchan Ramen in the grocery stores. The brown rice noodles have a wonderfully chewy texture. I promise you won't miss the gluten!

Mongolian Meatballs and Spaghetti

Ingredients

For the meatballs

· 1/3 cup bread crumbs

· 3 scallions, chopped fine

· 1 tbsp soy sauce

· 2 tsp grated ginger

· 1 tsp sriracha

· 1 egg

· ¼ tsp black pepper

· ½ tsp garlic powder

· 1lb lean ground turkey or beef

For the sauce

· ¼ cup soy sauce

· ½ cup chicken stock

· 1 tbsp ginger, grated

· 2 tbsp hoisin sauce

· 2 tbsp brown sugar

· 1 tsp sriracha

· 1 tsp sesame oil

· 2 garlic cloves, minced

· 1 tsp corn starch

For the noodles

· 2 tbsp vegetable oil

· ½ onion, sliced thin

· 4 ramen noodle bales

· 1 cup shredded carrots

· 1 red pepper, sliced thin

· 6oz snow peas, trimmed

· 3 scallions, sliced thin

· Sesame seeds

For the meatballs… in a large mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, scallions, soy sauce, ginger, sriracha, egg and spices. Add the ground meat. Fold the bread crumb mixture evenly into the meat.

Using a small cookie scoop, spoon the meatball mixture onto a platter or sheet pan. The mixture should make roughly 18-20 bite-sized meatballs. Set aside.

For the sauce… whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.

For the noodles...heat the oil in a large skillet. Over medium heat, brown the meatballs for about 2 minutes per side. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside. Reduce the temperature to low and add the sliced onions. Sautee for 3-4 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Add the sauce and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the meatballs to the pan. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Cook the ramen noodles in a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. While the noodles cook, add the carrots, peppers and snow peas to the pan with the meatballs. Cover the pan and simmer until the noodles are ready.

Drain the ramen and add the noodles to the pan with the meatballs and veggies. Toss the noodles until coated in the sauce.

Garnish the meatballs and noodles with the sliced scallions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Serves 4

GF Friendly

Gluten Free Friendly!

Swap the bread crumbs for gluten free bread crumbs in the meatballs. For the ramen, we enjoy Lotus Brown Rice Ramen. Otherwise, swap with your favorite GF spaghetti.