'Spaghetti' Squash & Bison Meatballs (Paleo)

Bison is by far my favorite meat. I debuted by love for bison on GLHC with my bison stuffed squash. I've never been a huge meatball fan - mostly because I never felt that great after eating meatballs however with bison, it's completely different. As with all meatballs, you can experiment and make them slightly different every time. For a recent paleo feast, I made these meatballs as the main course with a homemade tomato sauce. Instead of spaghetti, I used 'Spaghetti' Squash. It's the end of the season so I literally bought the only ones available! I'd never cooked this type of squash but was delighted on it's much healthier and equally tasty substitution for spaghetti. I was certain I would cut off my hand as I was trying to cut open this squash. I had to put all my weight on the knife to open the squash so be careful when doing this at home. Disclosure: I'm also accident prone - this may not be an issue for most folks :)
This meal can be made in advance and heated up. The meatballs are addicting and taste DELICIOUS the next day on sandwich bread or even cold. The longer and slower you cook the tomato sauce, the more enhanced the flavor will be and the thicker the texture. So, in true Italian style - cook this meal slowly with love, music and glass of wine.

                                  

'Spaghetti' Squash & Bison Meatballs 
Makes enough for 10-12
A meal planning tip: Start with baking the squash. While squash is in the oven start the sauce then the meatballs.

Ingredients:
2-3 large 'Spaghetti' Squash

For Meatballs:
4 lbs ground bison
2 small onions, finely chopped
4 eggs
1 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons fresh herbs
1 head of garlic
Olive oil
4 tablespoons ghee

For Sauce:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, crushed
2 28 ounce cans plum tomatoes
1 16 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 small cans of tomato paste
2 bunches of Italian parsley, chopped
2 chili peppers, chopped

Directions:
For Spaghetti:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the squash in half. Place cut size down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, until it is easily pierced with a knife.
2. Scrape the spaghetti out of the squash shell and set aside into a bowl.

For Meatballs:
1. Saute the onion, garlic with 3-4 tablespoons of ghee until the onions are translucent. Allow the onions to cool.
2. In a bowl, vigorously whisk the eggs. Whisk in the almond meal and herbs. Add in the bison and mix until everything is incorporated. The best tools for this are your hands.
3. Roll the bison meat into small balls. Saute on a pan (LOW & SLOW) with a bit of olive oil. The bison meatballs don't take much time and you want them to maintain their moisture so be sure the heat is set to low. They should be golden brown.  They will produce their own natural oils which make for a fantastic base for sauteing vegetables. Set aside on a platter while you finish the meatballs.


For the sauce:
1. Heat live oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the onions and garlic until soft.
2. Add in the pureed tomatoes with juices, crushed tomatoes, parsley, and peppers. Bring the mixture to a boil. Season with salt and pepper
3. Reduce the heat and cook until it is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Add in the tomato paste and cook for 20 minutes.

                             

Enjoy with a nice big salad and a glass of wine :)