Grass-Fed Pan-Fried Meatballs & Marinara

Using delicious 100% grass- fed beef from Trader Joe's, I made some simple pan-fried meatballs, tossed them with a rich mushroom marinara, and threw it all over a pile of zughetti.  There's no hard and fast rule to this recipe.  Use the seasonings that you like.  Don't over-complicate it.  Simple but fabulous.  Who doesn't love meatballs?!

Paleo comfort food at its finest

Ingredients:
2lb ground beef, preferably grass fed
2c diced portabella mushrooms
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1tbs butter, organic or grass fed
1/2 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1tsp dried oregano
1tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1tbs olive oil, preferably first cold pressed
2c of your favorite marinara or make your own with tomato sauce, tomato paste, fire roasted diced tomatoes, diced onion, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and basil
2tbs balsamic vinegar
8oz sliced portabella mushrooms
5 zucchini: turn it into angel hair pasta (zughetti) using the Joyce Chen Spiral Slicer
Aged parmesan for serving (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large saute pan, heat butter over medium  high heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent.  2. In a large bowl, whisk egg.  Add diced mushrooms and cooked onion/garlic mixture.  Add oregano, salt, and pepper.  Using your hands, blend the mixture into the meat until evenly combined.
3. Make meatballs by rolling them in your hands until they are formed to the size of a ping pong ball.  In the same large saute pan, heat 1tbs olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook until deeply brown.  Turn until they are brown on all sides and cooked through to 160F.
 4. If making your marinara, do so now.  Heat a bit of oil in a pan and cook up some onion and mushrooms.  Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes (and add paste if you like it thicker).  Add some Italian spices to your liking (garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and basil are all delicious).  Add a bit of balsamic at the end for complexity and sweetness.
5. If you are using canned marinara, cook up some mushrooms and then add the sauce to heat it through.
6. When the meatballs are done, drain the fat.  Then toss them in your mushroom marinara sauce.  Serve over zughetti and sprinkle with aged parmesan.  Enjoy!