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Baking the meatballs on a sheet pan rather than frying them in batches on the stovetop is what makes a large batch realistic for meal prep - twenty meatballs take the same oven space as four. Spiralized zucchini stands in for pasta, keeping the whole thing low-carb while still delivering the classic marinara-and-parmesan combination.
Prep Time
20 min
Per serving
400kcal
Calories
28g
Cook Time
20 min
Servings
4 people
Difficulty
easy
Protein
16g
Carbs
26g
Fat
3g
Fiber
7g
Sugar
Follow step-by-step with voice guidance.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, grated parmesan, minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently until just combined - overmixing makes tough meatballs.
Roll the mixture into evenly sized balls, about 2.5cm in diameter, and place on the baking sheet.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until browned and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F).
While the meatballs bake, heat the marinara sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Using a spiralizer, turn the zucchini into noodle-like strands. Saute in a lightly oiled pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until just tender but not mushy.
Divide the zucchini noodles, meatballs, and warm marinara sauce evenly among meal-prep containers.
Top with extra grated parmesan before sealing.
Don't Overmix the Meatball Mixture: Handling the mixture too much develops the proteins in the meat and makes the meatballs dense rather than tender - mix just until combined. Don't Overcook the Zucchini Noodles: They release water and turn mushy quickly, so a brief 2-3 minute saute right before packing is enough - many people skip cooking them entirely and let the hot meatballs and sauce warm them through. Bake, Don't Pan-Fry, for Larger Batches: Baking all the meatballs at once on a sheet pan is far more efficient than frying them in multiple batches when prepping a large quantity for the week.
Store the meatballs and marinara together for up to 4 days, but keep the zucchini noodles separate and add them fresh each day, since they release water and turn watery if stored under warm sauce too long.
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