Move over, traditional white pasta — this diabetic spaghetti recipe is amazing! This recipe will satisfy your hunger for pasta without spiking your blood sugar. (Yes, diabetics can eat pasta!)
When the weather gets chilly or you’re just in the mood for an Italian dinner, this diabetic spaghetti recipe is both delicious and healthy! How can you beat that?
Sometimes I just want some pasta. And it doesn’t matter that I have diabetes… my taste buds are craving pasta! So I have learned over the years (more than 30 now, but who’s counting?) that if I pair up fat, fiber, and protein in my meals, I don’t have a blood glucose spike after eating. So that’s my approach to pasta, too!
Pasta is notoriously carby, so I know I need to add protein and fat and fiber. How do I do that? With meatballs and whole grains and veggies.
WHY This Diabetic Spaghetti Recipe IS A Favorite
Aside from the idea that it doesn’t send my blood sugar on a roller coaster, I have several reasons I love this whole wheat pasta (and you will soon too)!
- Family Friendly – It may just be my season of life, but any time I can make a meal that the whole family enjoys, it’s a win! And it’s rare someone won’t eat spaghetti, right? So this one is on repeat in our home.
- Prep it Ahead – You can easily start this meal in advance (on a weekend for a busy week ahead, for example). You can actually make and cook the meatballs a day or two ahead if you want. Make it easy on yourself later!
- Two Dinners – This can actually make two dinners if you use your noggin’ during your meal planning time. Double the batch of meatballs, and you have yourself dinner #2! Enjoy the extra meatballs in a sub, with other veggies, or with some appetizers.
- Veggies – these meatballs have both carrot and zucchini in them, so you are getting a good dose of veggies while you’re enjoying a traditionally veggie-less food.
I could go on, but I’ll get to the recipe. You can make this meal yourself and let me know what you would add to the list of reasons to love this diabetic spaghetti recipe!
1. Make the Meatballs
The first thing to do in this diabetic spaghetti recipe is technically to preheat the oven so it’s nice and warm for these meatballs once they are ready to bake.
Then, it’s time to combine the meatball ingredients. In a medium bowl, you will combine the ground turkey, shredded carrot, shredded and squeezed zucchini, minced onion, panko bread crumbs, paprika, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper.
Once those ingredients are all combined well, you will gently mix in the egg.
Next, shape the mixture into 18 evenly portioned meatballs. Place them on a large lined and greased baking sheet. (I personally like to line my sheet pan with aluminum foil and cooking spray first, making clean up later super easy!)
Bake the meatballs uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, until fully cooked through.
2. Start the Spaghetti Sauce
(Before you start the pasta sauce, I would actually recommend starting the water for the pasta on the stove. That way it’s ready to go and you don’t have to wait on it!)
Now it’s time to start the sauce. This homemade sauce is so delicious, and it’s healthier than the processed stuff in the can with all the added sugar for sure. Plus, you can adjust the seasoning for your liking!
In a large saucepan or large skillet, I like to heat up some extra virgin olive oil on medium heat first. Then I add in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or so.
Next, all the other ingredients are added in. That includes the tomato sauce, petite diced tomatoes, and seasonings (onion powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper). Give it a stir, turn it down on low heat, and let it simmer.
3. Cook the Pasta
Once the sauce is simmering nicely, it’s time to cook spaghetti. First, season the boiling pasta water with a pinch of salt. Then add in the uncooked noodles.
I personally like to use whole grain thin spaghetti in this recipe because it has some added fiber that’s super helpful. Ten minutes or so is all you need to have al dente pasta, so it won’t take long. Stir occasionally with a pasta spoon (like this one) while it cooks.
4. Enjoy Your Diabetic Spaghetti Recipe!
After the healthy whole grain pasta is done cooking, it’s time to plate up for dinner! Drain the pasta in a colander (like this one) first. Then portion some out on to a plate. Next comes the sauce. And then you add the meatballs (and more sauce if you want)!
Then I like to top all of that with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I’m a big fan of cheese, so I use it at basically any time I can! You could also top it with shredded mozzarella cheese or some fresh basil, too.
Similar Recipes
If you’re looking for alternative pasta ideas that are also healthy diabetic recipes, I would highly recommend either of these:
CARBS FOR THIS RECIPE
Although there aren’t as many grams of carbs in this diabetic spaghetti recipe as others, there are certainly still carbs.
With the specific ingredients I used for this recipe, the entire total was 259g of carbs. And with the fiber taken into account, the net carbs come to 211g total. With this recipe making 6 servings, that’s 35g of net carbs per serving. (Need help counting carbs for your recipes? Check out my blog post with step-by-step instructions.)
Be sure to work this into your diet how you best manage your diabetes. And be sure to count the total carbs in the specific brand of ingredients you use. Different brands vary in ingredients, so be fully sure of the nutritional information in what you’re eating.
WHAT MAKES THIS RECIPE DIABETIC FRIENDLY?
The term “diabetic friendly” can be defined differently based on your source. We all have unique diets and ways to manage our diabetes. And although many people with type 2 diabetes may limit carbs and sugar intake for more of a low carb lifestyle, some people with type 1 diabetes will tell you they can eat literally whatever they want as long as they dose for it.
Personally, after living with type 1 for 30+ years, I consider something to be diabetic friendly if it is either:
- a recipe that combines fat, fiber, and protein to help stabilize blood sugar levels and avoid a blood sugar spike
- a lighter version to the ingredients you would normally find in a traditional pasta recipe
This particular recipe is both! (Winner, winner, spaghetti dinner!)
First, this is a recipe that combines fat, fiber, and protein to help your blood sugar stay more stable. The fat/fiber/protein combo is quite the trifecta that helps your body digest a bit more slowly so the carbs in the foods you eat don’t cause as much of a spike in blood sugar. For more on this fiber/fat/protein idea, check this blog post about it.
This is also a lighter version and healthier option over a traditional pasta recipe because it uses ground turkey, whole grain pasta, and a homemade sauce.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS RECIPE
Looking for a side dish that would pair well with this recipe and round out your meal? Here are a few ideas:
- green beans
- mixed greens salad
- steamed veggies
- grilled asparagus
- tomato mozzarella caprese salad
- roasted brussels sprouts
- grilled mixed veggies
- sauteed zucchini rounds
- a classic caesar salad
VARIATIONS ON THIS Diabetic Spaghetti Recipe
There are several variations you can take on this recipe. Here are just a few ideas that came to my mind right away.
- Prefer meat sauce? If you’d rather not have meatballs, but a meat sauce instead, I have a great recipe for that too.
- Looking for a shortcut? I won’t lie – this recipe does take some time and several pots and pans. But if you’re looking for a quick fix, use some premade meatballs from your grocery store. (That will change the carb counts and fat/fiber/protein ratios, so count for yourself with the new ingredients.)
- Change the noodles. If you’re more of a fan of penne or rotini, go for it! There are a ton of different whole grain pastas in local grocery stores now. Use whatever suits your fancy!
- Want more veg? Consider adding some chopped bell pepper to the meatballs or the spaghetti sauce.
- Swap the meat. In the case that you have ground beef on hand, you can certainly substitute that in for the ground turkey. (FYI – that may up the fat content.)
MAKE AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS
This diabetic spaghetti recipe can certainly be made in advance. The obvious answer is to make the meatballs ahead and reheat them to serve. Those can be made a day or two ahead, or on a weekend for a busy week ahead.
You can also make the sauce ahead. That’s an easy yes, and it can hang out in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat.
If you’re looking to cook the pasta ahead, I would just caution you that pasta tends to stick together after it’s drained and cooled. My solution to this is to add a touch of olive oil to the pasta and give it a good toss before refrigerating.
STORING YOUR Diabetic Spaghetti Recipe FOR LATER
Any leftover spaghetti you have can easily be stored for later. Personally, I prefer to store the pasta, meatballs, and sauce separately and combine them when I’m ready to eat.
And I always try to remember (but sometimes forget) to avoid putting my remaining sauce in a clear Tupperware container because the tomato-based sauce will discolor it. Ask me how I know.
And now for your free recipe card:
Diabetic Spaghetti Recipe with Homemade Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 2 medium carrots shredded
- 1 medium zucchini shredded, squeezed
- 1/4 c. onion minced
- 1/3 c. plain panko
- 1 T. paprika
- 2 t. garlic minced
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1/8 t. pepper
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper
Pasta Sauce
- 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 t. garlic minced
- 29 oz. tomato sauce
- 14 oz. petite diced tomatoes with juice
- 1/2 t. onion powder
- 1/2 t. garlic powder
- 1 t. basil
- 1 t. oregano
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/2 t. pepper
Pasta
- 1/2 box whole grain thin spaghetti
Optional
- freshly grated parmesan (optional)
- fresh basil (optional)
Instructions
Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line and grease a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine all meatball ingredients except the egg. Mix well until just combined. Then gently add in the egg.
- Shape the mix into 18 meatballs and place on to the baking sheet.
- Place into the preheated oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, until fully cooked through.
Pasta and Sauce
- Fill a pasta pot with water and bring it to a boil.
- Heat a large skillet or large saucepan on medium heat and add extra virgin olive oil. Cook garlic 30 seconds.
- Add in all other sauce ingredients and stir. Lower heat to simmer and stir occasionally.
- Once the pasta water is boiling, add the spaghetti noodles to cook. Stir occasionally and cook until al dente, 10 minutes.
- Plate pasta, sauce, and meatballs. Top with grated parmesan cheese or fresh basil.
Notes
DID YOU Make this Diabetic Spaghetti Recipe?
If you’ve made this diabetic spaghetti recipe, would you please let me know? I would love to hear from you!
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NOTE: I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietician. Nothing here should be taken as professional medical advice. Any nutritional information provided should be used as a general guideline and estimate only. For the most accurate information, please calculate based on the specific ingredients and brands you use, as well as any changes you make to the recipe.
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