Chorizo Meatballs, Zucchini Pasta and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

For 24 meatballs:
-1 lb ground beef
-8 oz chorizo
-1 large garlic clove, minced
-1/4 C minced onion
-1 TB basil
-2 tsp oregano
-2 eggs
-36 almonds, ground finely

For the Sauce:
-4 red bell peppers
-1/2 C onion
-1 garlic clove
-2 tsp Worcestershire
-2 tsp balsamic vinegar
-Salt and pepper
-1 TB basil
-2 tsp oregano
-2 tsp rosemary
-2 tsp parsley

Other:
-1 zucchini or more as needed, spiraled into noodles

I used my kitchenaid to mix all of my meatball ingredients together.  Next, I formed them in to 24 relatively even-sized balls and placed them on a baking sheet.  I cooked them at 400F for 22 minutes.

Meanwhile, throw all of the sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until pureed.  Cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spiralize your zucchini.  I am in love with my spiralizer that I bought from Amazon, it is one of the heavy duty ones that sits on your counter.  It takes care of the zucchini in about 30 seconds and there is very little waste or effort on my part.  I could not be happier!

I personally did not cook the noodles this time, instead opting to pour the piping hot sauce over them and let it all steam for a few minutes.  You have the option of cooking the noodles separately by sauteeing them in a pan, or by tossing them in with your sauce and cooking for five to ten minutes if you like.  Since you can eat zucchini raw and since the noodles are so small, I was not too concerned.

Also, this is something we are taking for lunch tomorrow, so the microwave can take care of it for me.

The meatballs, I must say, are delicious!  I have had some issues making good meatballs before but these are really good.  I highly suggest draining them on a paper towel when they come out of the oven, because at the end of the day this recipe is just a hybrid sausage ball.  That means grease.

That is also why I mixed these with a lower fat sirloin.  You could probably use ground turkey in place of the beef if you prefer, I just have had some bad luck with it and opted to stick with what works for me.

Maybe turkeys just hate me.  It's mutual.

Regardless, I am very excited for this meal.  I will be using 3 meatballs for me and 4 for the boyfriend.  You could always make them smaller if you want to have a lot of meatballs in each serving and want them to cook faster.

I am hoping to consistently post on Sundays for my 52 Weeks of Wonderful, as it will be nice to be in a habit.  We will see how that works for me on vacation...

Until next time, happy crafting!