Creamy Lemon Pasta and Meatballs. Sometimes, there is nothing better than pasta with a nice, juicy meatball and a delicious, creamy sauce. Are you hungry yet? This dish is also cooked in one of my all time favorite skillets, my cast iron skillet. The flavor is so powerful in this dish, definitely a must try. Oh, and did I mention it is dairy free, gluten free, and whole 30 compliant?! This is a great meal to make during the week and it provides an excellent quick and easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
I love a creamy pasta. In this case, I love creamy lemon pasta with meatballs. I think one of the most perfect pairings to a cream sauce is any acidic ingredient, in this case lemon. I made this recipe dairy free! It is amazing how you can get so much flavor and creaminess without the dairy!
This recipe is my holy grail. It is not only dairy free, but I also use gluten free pasta! I love that I can still indulge in all of my favorite flavors just in a healthier way! Although so so creamy, believe it or not there is absolutely no dairy in this recipe!
Ingredients to make Creamy Lemon Pasta and Meatballs:
For the meatballs:
- ground beef
- dijon mustard
- egg
- coconut flour
- coconut aminos
- onion powder
- lemon juice
- salt and pepper
For the Sauce:
- onion
- garlic
- olive oil
- chicken broth
- cashews
- almond milk
- coconut milk
- lemon juice
Pasta:
- gluten free pasta
Kitchen Appliances
- cast iron skillet
- Ninja blender
The Steps to make Creamy Lemon Pasta and Meatballs:
- To start, the first step is always to boil the water to start softening the cashews. The cashews take about a half hour to soften to the point that they will blend into the liquid without leaving chunks behind. Once the water bowls, pour it over the cashews and cover with tin foil to trap the heat.
- Then it is time to pack together the meatballs. Is it weird that this is one of my favorite parts? I love packing meatballs and burgers and throwing in fun flavors to enhance the meat. Once the meatballs are packed, heat up the olive oil in the cast iron skillet. You have to heat the oil first otherwise the meatballs will stick when you go to flip them.
- You don't want to cook the meatballs all the way, just get a nice sear on them.
- Once the meatballs are removed, throw the chopped onion and minced garlic in. Cook until the onions become translucent and the garlic becomes fragrant. You then will experience the best smell in the world in my opinion...there is nothing better than some garlic and onion cooking in olive oil in a cast iron skillet.
5. Add in the chicken brother and then put the meatballs back into the pan. Cover and bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. While that is getting all simmered and delicious, drain the cashews and add them to the blender along with the almond milk, coconut milk, and lemon juice. Blend it all up until smooth. Add the mixture to the meatballs and chicken broth and reduce to a low simmer to let the sauce thicken up. Serve over gluten free pasta.
What if I don't have chicken broth, but I have beef broth?
You can definitely sub in beef broth for the chicken broth. This will definitely change the flavoring a little as well as the color. It should still be absolutely delicious though!
Does coconut milk give the dish a coconut flavor?
Nope! You will not taste any coconut at all so no worries! The coconut milk is actually what gives you that really creamy texture! The best is when you get a can of coconut milk that is full of fat and thick.
What are some other recipes similar to Creamy Lemon Pasta and Meatballs?
One of my favorite creamy pasta dishes is my Homemade Shrimp Fettuccine Pesto Alfredo. It is not dairy free, but it is absolutely delicious and full of flavor!
If you love this recipe, you might also like:
- Grilled Chicken Burgers with Guacamole
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- Healthier Copycat Popeye's Chicken Sandwich
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Creamy Lemon Pasta and Meatballs
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Ninja Blender
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tbs dijon mustard
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 tbs coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup cashews
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small onion chopped
- ⅓ cup almond milk
- ½ cup coconut milk full fat
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 cup chicken broth
Pasta
- 1 lb gluten free pasta
Instructions
- Boil about 2 cups of water and pour it over the cashews and then cover with tin foil to trap the heat.
- Combine all of the meatball ingredients and form into about 12 meatballs.
- Heat the olive oil in the cast iron skillet. Place meatballs in the skillet and brown on all sides for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the skillet.
- Add onion and garlic in the skillet. Cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant.
- Add in chicken broth, and place the meatballs back into the pan. Cover and bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Drain the cashews and add them into the blender. Add in the coconut milk, almond milk and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
- Add in the cream mixture to the meatballs. Turn down the heat and bring the sauce to a low simmer.
- Cook the pasta by the box directions.
- Serve the meatballs over the pasta and pour sauce over pasta. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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