Italian chicken meatballs baked and simmered in a homemade tomato sauce, served over easy sweet potato spaghetti. Gluten-free, allergy-free, and paleo, this delicious version of the classic will quickly become a new family dinner favorite.
By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by California Ripe Olives and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
Mediterranean cuisine encompasses the likes of Italian, Greek, Turkish, Moroccan, any county that creates the region around the Mediterranean cuisine. That’s why it’s so large, lovely, full of so many flavors and ingredients. One notable ingredient that all these cultures of the cuisine use is olives. Lucky for us here in the states, we have amply supply of California Black Ripe Olives. You know I am pretty fond of black olives already, evidenced here. They are just such a great healthy addition to the diet. From their healthy monounsaturated fats to their values of vitamin E (.25 mg per serving), iron (.49 mg per serving), vitamin A (60 IU per serving), and fiber (.5 grams per serving).
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You will never find my pantry bare of black olives. Canned at their peak to preserve their healthy nutrients so we can reap the benefits year-round. The versatility is if my favorite aspect. Crack open a can and you can bring that Mediterranean flare to just about anything. From sauces, casseroles, tapanades, dips & spreads, veggie burgers, and of course just easy delicious snacking too! Today I used my black olives in the perfect homemade tomato sauce to go along with my chicken meatballs and served over easy spiralized sweet potato noodles. So a new take on the classic “spaghetti and meatballs”; even a new take from my own favorite! The perfect healthy dinner to serve your family, taking inspiration and all the nutritious health benefits of the Mediterranean cuisines!
A great spaghetti and meatball dish is all about the sauce for me. That’s where the flavor and pizzazz come in and shine. If you just had meatballs and spaghetti…that would be rather bland. Even when my mom would make “real” meatballs in sauce for my brother, I would adore the smell of that sauce simmering away. Tomato, herbs, garlic, onion, and in the case of this recipe, olives, capers, and mushrooms! Total Italian comfort. The smells of love and hugs with a nourishing lightened up dish as your mouthwatering reward of waiting while everything cooks!
Homemade tomato sauce is the only way to go to. I do not see why you would waste money on jarred sauces full of sodium, sugar, and who-knows-what! All you need to make a sauce is either canned of fresh tomatoes, herbs, and spices. You can then flavor it up to your preferences and add whatever you’d like. So much healthier and fresher! However, my other favorite part of this dish is the super simple sweet potato “spaghetti”! I usually use spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles for things like this, but my intense love for potato drew me to this variation. All you have to do is per serving (person), spiralize a sweet potato and lightly steam it in a bowl with a touch of water in the microwave for a few minutes! Viola! The perfect soft grain-free “spaghetti” 😉
Italian Chicken Meatballs & Sweet Potato Spaghetti
- For Chicken Meatballs:
- 1 lb Ground Chicken Breast
- 1 Flax Egg (1 TB Milled Flax Seed + 3 TB Water)
- 1 TB Chopped Fresh Basil
- 1 TB Chopped Fresh Italian Parsley
- ½ Tsp Dried Oregano
- ¼ Tsp Onion Powder
- ¼ Tsp Garlic Powder
- For Tomato Sauce:
- 2 (15oz) Cans No-Salt Added Tomato Sauce
- ¾ Cup California Ripe Black Olives (sliced)
- 1 TB Capers
- 1 Tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Medium Sweet Onion (diced)
- 1½ Cups Chopped Button Mushrooms
- ½ Tsp Black Pepper
- ½ Tsp Dried Thyme
- ½ Tsp Dried Rosemary (crushed)
- ⅓ Tsp Dried Marjoram
- 1 TB Chopped Fresh Basil
- 1 TB Chopped Fresh Italian Parsley
- Spaghetti:
- 4 Large Sweet Potatoes (spiralized)
- For Chicken Meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare you flax egg in a small bowl and set aside to gel.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, herbs, spices, and flax egg. Mix well to combine.
- Grease a large baking pan and form 12-14 meatballs, placing them evenly in the pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
- For Tomato Sauce:
- Simply add all sauce ingredients in a large soup pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chicken meatballs and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- For Spaghetti:
- Simply spiralize your sweet potatoes (1 per person) so 4 potatoes will be enough, using the C blade.
- Add the spiralized potatoes in a microwave safe bowl with a few tablespoons of water and steam in the microwave for 3-5 minutes until slightly soft.
- Serve meatballs and sauce over the spaghetti and enjoy!
Who’s ready for dinner now? I am! (Well, I’m always game to eat good food). But the smells and aromas from all the components of this dish will have you salivating until you get a big plate in front of you and in your belly! Serve this to your family to make them happy and your extra happy knowing they’re eating one nourishing, hearty, homemade meal! As a college student, I’d recommend making this as a “welcome home” home-cooked meal when we come back during breaks 😉
So tell me:
+ When you have a dish requiring tomato sauce, do you make it homemade?
+ Have you ever traveled to any Mediterranean countries? O Italy, Greece, Morocco! The food! The sights! The beauty!
*Recipe linking up for the week! Allergy Free Wednesdays, #RecipeOfTheWeek,#StrangeButGood, Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays,Tasty Tuesdays, Savoring Saturdays, Tasty Tuesdays, Lena’s Tasty Tuesdays, Waste Not Want Not!*
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Lovely, i love a nice spicy recipe. Thanks for sharing this.
simon
Thank you!
This sounds lovely. Going to give this a go. thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
Thanks!
How delicious!!
Thanks!
Wow! This looks fabulous! I never thought of spiralizing sweet potatoes, but now I MUST try it.
Yes! You must! 😉
Sounds tasty. I love sweet potato anything. 🙂
You and me both!
Wow, dreamy!
Thanks!
I have never had sweet potato spaghetti. I will have to try it now!
You’ll love it Rachel! Super easy and quick!
This looks fantastic, we will love it!
Thanks!
This looks delicious! I cannot wait to try the recipe out!
Yay! I hope you do! xoxo
This looks great! I love the way you spiralized the sweet potato and then lightly steamed it in the microwave.
It worked perfectly!
This looks amazing, I had no idea you could spiralize potatoes. I need a spiralizer!
Haha, why not!?
I agree with you about the sauce. I always like to keep some on hand.
A good sauce is such a delicious staple!
This sounds great. I love your recipe ideas. I haven’t tried sweet potato noodles yet. I’m not sure why though as it is my son’s favourite food and I’ve spiralized just about everything else possible!
I know what you mean about the sauce. It definitely makes a meatball dish and I just love the smell of the house as it simmers away.
Going to try this out this week. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
These noodles are calling you then!
The sauce really is the best!!! Makes the whole dish! A bad sauce would ruin it all!
Ooh I love the idea of sweet potato spaghetti! Might be a bit technical for me as I don’t have anything to spiralize the potatoes with! Would definitely be something I would order in a restaurant though 🙂
All the more reason to get a spiralizer 😉
you had me at sweet potatoe!!!
Woohoo!
Your pasta looks very nice.. so yummy 🙂
Thank you!
This is definitely a great way to keep your spaghetti more healthy.
Yup! Got that right!
love this!
Thanks!
I keep saying I’m going to get a spiralizer but this time I really mean it. Being able to eat veggies raw like this is so great. It looks like you don’t even have to peel the potatoes. So. Easy!! And healthy.
No peeling! Never peel when you spiralize! (Well you can, but that’s food waste!)
I bet this is heavenly! I love olives. And Pasta!! Looks like such a yummy tomato sauce.
Thank you so much dear!
Tomato sauce MUST be homemade if I’m making it in my kitchen! And I spent a summer in Italy during my college years. Best summer of my life, for sure, and I cannot wait to take my husband and daughter to my town so they can experience it with me!
Me and olives have a sketchy history, but I recently discovered that I really enjoy them! So of course I cannot wait to make this dish! Thanks so much for sharing it… and I absolutely adore the idea of sweet potato noodles, too. My husband was actually reading over my shoulder as I read this post and was all, “We have to make that!”
Just wanted to stop by from the SITS Saturday Sharefest and say hello! Happy weekend to you!
O well that must have been amazing!!!!
We can all benefit from some olive love 😉
I hope you do make this, Erin!!! Date night dinner perhaps 😉
xoxoxoxo Thank you so much dear!!!
It really was fantastic! I totally recommend checking it out when you’ve got the chance. 😉 And that’s the truth — I can see this being a fantastic date night meal! Thanks for sharing, lady!
I’m allll about that sauce!! And spiralizing sweet potatoes is such a good idea. I’ve only ever done zucchini.
Girl, you’ve got to up your spiralizing game! Zucchini is so 2014 😛 Hahaha!
Oh yum, I can smell and taste this, and I want some right now! Yes, for breakfast. Pinning.
Bahahaha! Well, no shame there 😉 Thanks Pam!
Ahhh! <3! I love that you used sweet potatoes for the "noodles!" 😀 This looks so good!
Crafty 😉 Thank Farrah!
I’ll take two plates of this delicious concoction thank you very much! Definitely pinning 🙂 xo
Haha, thanks Jess!
Sounds wonderful. I love anything that resembles spaghetti & meatballs.
The classic will never die!
This sounds terrific. I can’t wait to give it a try!
Thank you!
This sounds so amazing and I LOVE the idea of sweet potato pasta! Honestly, if I were rich, I would just fly you to Florida and hire you as my personal chef because your recipes always sound so yummy! xoxo
Hahahaha! I would gladly accept 😉
I never would have though of sweet potatoes for pasta. Now you have me curious and I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the healthy recipe.
Blessings,
Shari
You’ll love it!
Love this healthy noodle twist on a classic recipe!
I’ve visited Cyprus, Italy and Croatia. My most fond memories are a traditional dinner in a small village in Cyprus (lots of deliciousness), fresh sea fish in Croatia and my best coffee ever in Bologna, of course. 🙂
O that sounds so lovely!! Jealous 😉
I love this lightened up version of spaghetti and meatballs! I am with you that it is all about the sauce!
Thank you Rachel!
Sweet potato spaghetti sounds so unique and amazing! need to try it!
Spiralizing makes everything good 😉
Rebecca, this looks absolutely delicious! Those sweet potato “noodles” look amazing. I also love the smell of sauce simmering away on the stove. So much savory deliciousness!
Thank you!!! The smell is the best!! O one of the greatest cooking scents!
This is such a perfect fall twist on an Italian classic!
I’m not sure it’s a Fall twist, haha! But thank you!
A good spaghetti and meatballs is nothing without an amazing sauce. It’s totally about the sauce for me as well. This dish sounds so amazing! I love the addition of olives and sweet potatoes!
The sauce is where the flavor is!!! Thank you so much Megan!
We are never out of black olives in our house either. My husband buys a giant jar every time he goes to Costco, so we’re covered in that department. 🙂 I love the idea of sweet potato spaghetti. Great idea!
Ah Costco 😉
Thanks Linda!!
This looks AMAZING. I absolutely love meatballs. I think because they are so comforting and fun to eat. It’s so unfortunate that so many restaurants make theirs with wheat, so I can usually only eat ones I make at home. I want to try pairing with sweet potatoes!
And people always use eggs…which is unfortunate too!
Thanks dear!
Sweet potato noodles are a new one for me, thanks for sharing.
I hope you try it!
I loveeeeee a good meatball + tomato sauce combo. I have yet to master the homemade sauce (I usually buy jarred then jazz it up myself) but that’s on my list of things to perfect!
This recipe looks absolutely delicious, and I love the sweet potato noodles. So creative!
You can’t mess it up! Just buy some plain organic tomato sauce, and throw anything you want in!
Thank you so much dear <3
This has me DROOOLING!!! Looks amazing!
Haha, thanks girl!
Oh, dang it Rebecca, now I need a spiralizer! 🙂 Butternut squash would be nice too!
That it would be!
Gorgeous Rebecca! Sweet potato spirals sound perfect in here!
For sure!
This looks incredible! Oh my goodness I need to try to make this
And you will love it when you do!
I’ve made sweet potato noodles (swoodles??) before, but I usually roast them in the oven. I bet steaming them makes them taste more like a noodle than a potato!
Yes! Swoodles 😉 That’s what I’m calling them!
The spiralized fries, I bake them, but yea, steaming is better for pastaing!
Wow, capers, too?! There’s a whole lot of flavors going on in this amazing-looking dish Rebecca – I’m impressed!
Thanks dear!
I have never made spaghetti with chicken. THis looks amazing though
It’s delicious!
Mmm I bet the flavor combo of meatballs and sweet potatoes is amazing!
Of course it is 😉
What a delish pairing! I love sweet potato noodles 🙂 Zoodles are usually my go to when having traditional red sauce/meatballs, but I will give this a try!
Try the (Sw)oodles 😉
What a pair! The saltiness from the olives, sweetness from the potato and tenderness from the chicken meatball. I am in love!
Thank you!!! xoxo
Sweet potato noodles are the best, aren’t they?! Actually I seem to love all veggie noodles. They totally rock. 🙂
Mmmhmm 😉 The most fun way to eat your veggies!
This sounds absolutely amazing! Plus, it would give me a change to whip our my veggie spiralizer AND will fit nicely anatomy 21 Day Fix eating plan… You wrote this post specifically for me! LOL
LiveLifeWell,
Allison Jones
Haha, glad to hear it! Totally give it a try then! xoxo
I share your obsession with olives but have to admit I have never tried adding them to a spaghetti sauce! I love the salty flavor and texture olives add to dishes and look forward to trying this!
This is going to be your go-to sauce now!!! 😉
I wish I loved olives but I just can’t get into them, I try all the time!! I do love the sweet potato pasta and this sauce sounds heavenly even without the olives. Definately making this with some veggie meatballs!!
I dare you to try them again in the sauce! One last time 😉
I have a very similar recipe with sweet potato noodles, love them! And love my meatballs of course 🙂 Olives are great and I eat them practically every day, my favorite are kalamata.
Olives are just a perfect healthy fat addition! Throw them in everything!
Sweet potato noodles? Genius!
I’m not the biggest fan of zucchini noodles, but I can totally get behind sweet potato noodles … and when you add chicken meatballs and homemade sauce, I am totally there!
Thanks for the great idea!
Haha, yea! I think I like sweet potato noodles more too! But of course I love all potato anything!
xoxo
Sounds yummy! I actually never have spiralized a sweet potato only zucchini !
Up your spiralizing game girl!!! 😉
So happy to have discovered your blog. This recipe is amazing! Meat and sweet potato noodles sound like the perfect sweet and savory combo!
Thanks so much Lauren! It’s a fabulous dish!
Sweet potato spaghetti sounds like it will add just the right amount of extra flavor to the dish. I don’t make my own sauce, but have before. It is always better that way.
It totally is!! Fresh sauce for life!
I love your combo of chicken meatballs with sweet potato spaghetti! A comforting GF meal packed with flavor from them olives!
Comforting and nourishing! Thanks dear!
We are big fans of sweet potato noodles and meatballs in this house! This sounds like it’s going on the menu ASAP!
Thank you Taylor! Total winner dinner 😛
You are talking my language with this recipe! These meatballs look heavenly – though I admit I’d use regular pasta – haven’t jumped on the spiralizing wagon yet 🙂
Well I say this should be the first recipe you try on that bandwagon 😉
This looks extremely drool worthy!!
Well thank you 😉
Give me ze noodles! All of them! And I’m totally loving the microwave method for steaming them, you cater to my savory laziness well 🙂
Right!? I wasn’t sure how to soften them just a bit so they weren’t raw…and then it hit me! The microwave baby!!!
olives, sweet potato, tomato, and chicken meatballs –> THIS IS MY FAV MEAL!!!! Love it. YOu are so making me crave a mediterranean/italian getaway
Eating this while watching the sunset on some Italian cruise 😉
I love anything made with sweet potatoes 🙂 I went on a Mediterranean cruise a few years ago so I hit up a bunch of places. Unfortunately I could enjoy all the foods (not all GF).
We need to through a G-FREE Mediterranean potluck!
I absolutley LOVE chicken Meatballs, so much better than beef or turkey! Just broke out the spiralizer yesterday and Im obsessed with making zoodles, I need to make some sweet tater noodles now!
Chicken is my only option so 😉 Well and bean balls!!!
Potato noodles kinda rock!!!
This looks so yummy! I love olives too, possibly a slight addiction.
They are so good!!! Love them more every time 😉
I’m loving this! Looks delicious. I just just spiralized sweet potatoes for first time, need to try some more recipes with them – thanks for the inspiration!
Yea! Go all out with “dressing up” spiralized things!
What an interesting combination! I never would have thought of it. Great substitute for regular pasta, too.
A fun sub! Potatoes are my favorite food 😉