So I’m over my Asian kick for now, and moving on to Italian flavors for the next few weeks of Meatball Mondays! I don’t know about you guys, but when the cooler weather hits, I start to crave heavier, more comforting flavors in my meals.
It doesn’t get much more comforting than these tender, sagey meatballs, swimming in a butter and white wine sauce that is flavored with crispy Pancetta, and even more fresh sage.
Served over a velvety cauliflower mash? Heaven in a bowl people – believe it.
But don’t let my words convince you, just look at the photos. If that doesn’t make you hungry to make this recipe ASAP, then I give up!
Seriously – if these pictures aren’t making you poke your screen with a fork, then I need to reconsider my career path. Maybe our local Walmart is hiring greeters. I’d be an awesome greeter…
Scratch that, I wouldn’t last a day. I’m pretty sure I don’t have enough restraint for that job…
“Excuse me, Ma’am? Your pajamas are showing. Our clothing section is running a deal on actual pants – you know, for leaving the house in? You’re welcome.”
Suddenly… Unemployment.
Anyhoo, this low carb meatball recipe is inspired by the classic Italian Veal Saltimbocca dish. Traditionally it would include filets of veal pounded thin, fresh sage leaves, and thin ribbons of prosciutto wrapped together and served in a white wine sauce.
I took some liberties in this recipe, replacing the traditional veal with ground turkey because it’s cheaper and easier to find – plus baby cows are adorable as you can see in my Instagram feed.
Instead of Prosciutto, I used chopped Pancetta in the meatball mix, and also in the sauce (you can cheat and use regular bacon if that’s what you have on hand.) There is sage present in all of the elements, but not overpoweringly so.
I served these over the Better than Potatoes Cheesy Cauliflower Puree recipe – it’s optional but I highly recommend it! Cooked spaghetti squash or zucchini “noodles” would also be a great accompaniment.
Overall I was thrilled with how this Saltimbocca concept translated into a low carb meatball recipe. I hope you guys will like it as much as we all did – be sure to let me know the verdict after you try them out!
Turkey Saltimbocca Meatballs – Low Carb and Gluten Free
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
An Italian inspired low carb meatball recipe based on the classic flavors found in Veal Saltimbocca. Gluten free, Keto, LCHF and Atkins friendly recipe the whole family will enjoy. Serve over cauliflower puree for a complete meal.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground turkey (or veal if you prefer)
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp chopped raw pancetta (or bacon)
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil for frying
For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup chopped pancetta (or bacon)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp granulated sugar substitute (Swerve, Splenda, etc.)
- 1/4 cup butter
Instructions
For the meatballs:
- Combine the ground turkey, egg, almond meal, parmesan cheese, chopped pancetta, chopped sage, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly. For into 12 meatballs. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick pan and cook over medium heat until golden brown and cooked through – about 3 minutes per side. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside.
For the sauce:
- Add the pancetta to the same pan that you cooked the meatballs in, leaving all the brown bits in the pan (unless it burned, then start with a fresh pan.) Cook the pancetta for about 2 minutes or until crisp. Add the white wine, sage, lemon juice, garlic powder, and sugar substitute to the pan and cook until reduced by half – about 3 minutes. Add the butter and whisk until melted and the sauce is slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the meatballs back into the sauce and stir until well coated. Serve hot.
Notes
Approx nutrition info per serving: 467 calories, 32g fat, 2.5g net carbs, 36g protein
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs with approximately 2 Tbsp sauce
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Lori says
Great recipe. I used bacon in place of pancetta but otherwise followed the directions just as written. My husband really liked it and he usually doesn’t like anything new! Also made the cauliflower “mashed” potatoes which turned out great. This will go on my regular menu plan. Thank you for sharing this great, super easy recipe!
Heather says
Made these for dinner tonight. The only substitution I made was swapping the almond flour for coconut flour (simply because I haven’t been able to find almond flour anywhere.) The flavor was fantastic!! Loved them! I had mine on mashed cauliflower, but the rest of the family had mashed potato. Wish I had some low-carb tiramisu for dessert. =D
Pat says
Made these last night too! Flavors were wonderful and adding the raw bacon to the meatball mixture gave the ground turkey so much flavor and moisture. I also took care to make the cauliflower puree just right — no watery puree. Enjoyed a reheated lunch of this today and happy I have more meatballs in the freezer to enjoy later. Great recipe! Thanks so much and also for the great tips on getting the cauliflower dry. Makes such a difference in taste.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Pat, glad you enjoyed these! And yes, drying out the cauliflower makes a HUGE difference in the final flavor and texture of the puree! Adding a bunch of cheese never hurts either lol!
Jessica says
Do you think I could double this recipe and freeze the meatballs raw to make at a later date?
Kelsey says
These were fan-freaking-tastic! Just made them for dinner and served them over mashed cauliflower. I didn’t have any sage on hand, so I used Herbs de Provence so it had a slightly different flavour that just fresh sage, but it was still subtle and savoury. Thanks so much for all your creativity!
Charla Owens says
I made these meatballs last night using ground round instead of turkey and fresh dill instead of the sage … so, so good …
Amanda K says
Those look so yummy! I may have to try these!
Mirka says
*prosciutto* :)
melissa I wondered, how much (gramms,oz) is 1/4 cup butter and 1/3 cup almond flour?do you think you could weigh it for us?or how big is the cup you use for dosage?(maybe 250ml?)
unfortunatelly, here in europe we don´t have cups to measure and I always have problems when I find recipies that measure in cups:(it´s a pitty because I´m often discouraged to make many interesting recipies…
and I would like sooooo much to try this one!
thank you
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hi Mirka, thanks for catching my spelling error on prosciutto – fixed it! Unfortunately I don’t have time to go remeasure or weigh ingredients for every possible equivalent, but you’ll be happy to know that isn’t necessary anyway. Anytime you find a recipe in US measurements and you need it in something else, just use a handy converter like this one to figure out what you’ll need in grams, ounces, ml, etc. Enjoy the meatballs!
movita beaucoup says
These sound gorgeous. And probably best consumed in pyjamas.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Isn’t everything????
Pat says
OMG – this looks so awesome good. I love every flavor and element of this dish. It almost seems too fancy to make for one, but I deserve it. Running to the store now for fresh sage and ground turkey. The rest is in my fridge and pantry.
Your creativity amazes me and this post, in particular, was so funny and so true! HA!
Mellissa Sevigny says
You DEFINITELY deserve it Pat, and I’m jealous that you don’t have to share, ha ha! Very excited to hear what you thought of this recipe – hopefully you’re eating it with the cauliflower puree too, because it was the perfect vehicle for that delicious sauce! I even loved it leftover for the following two days – sigh, wish I had some right now but alas, they are all gone. I rarely make a meatball recipe more than once just because I’m always working on new ones, but I’d definitely make an exception in this case and will be making these again for sure!
Sue Daniel says
Thank you so much for your generosity and the chance to win this Vitamix! I hope to get the chance to use it for creamy nut butters and smoothies especially! Thanks again for the work you do and encouragement you give in the quest for a healthy life for all! :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Sue! :)
Shirley says
Melissa, will you marry me? Just kidding, my husband would probably frown on that but how about moving in next door???
Mellissa Sevigny says
LOL Shirley, maybe you should move to Belize and be my beachside neighbor!! :)