Making Your Own Low FODMAP Pasta (with Meatballs!)

Is there anything more comforting than a classic bowl of spaghetti and meatballs?

If you’re following a low FODMAP diet, you may have noticed your pasta intake has suffered a tad. After all, onions and garlic are staples to any pasta sauce (you could try making it without these two ingredients, but your grandma will clap the back of your head).

Luckily, passionate food scientists have ensured things like IBS or gastrointestinal issues won’t stand between us FODMAPers and delicious carbs.

We’ll walk you through putting together your own low FODMAP pasta dinner, complete with meatballs and cheese (it wouldn’t feel right otherwise). We guarantee Nonna will be proud!...or highly offended, it depends on your Nonna. 

(If you’d like to get straight to cooking, however, here’s Fody’s own low FODMAP pasta & meatballs recipe!)

The Low FODMAP Pasta

Most pastas are wheat-based, which you following the low FODMAP diet know by now is a large contributor to FODMAPs in Western cuisine.

Interestingly, wheat actually has a relatively low FODMAP content by weight - but because we consume it in such large quantities, it ends up being an IBS trigger for most folks. And we’re talking pasta here, so of course we want large portions!

So, as we suggest in our low FODMAP pasta recipe, we opt for a low FODMAP, gluten-free spaghetti, like rice-based spaghetti. This way you can indulge to your stomach’s content without fear of wheat overload. If you’re not into rice, you can also consider quinoa and corn-based pastas too!

The Low FODMAP Sauce

This right here’s the key. Your low FODMAP pasta sauce will set the tone for the entire meal, carrying a good portion of the flavors and personality of your dish.

Our low FODMAP pasta sauce recommendation is easier (and more delicious) than any other option you may find. All you’ll need is a WIFI connection, and $6 USD.

Yes yes, we’re indeed advocating for you to buy a low FODMAP pasta sauce! We’ve cooked up a number of pasta sauces to suite a variety of palates, like our classic tomato & basil sauce that tastes straight out of Naples, our hearty marinara sauce, or our spicy arrabbiata pasta sauce for those with bold taste buds.

Buying a premade low FODMAP pasta sauce still allows you to season to your taste and make it your own, and gives you peace of mind that your sauce is onion-, garlic-, and gluten-free!

As an added bonus, if your pasta ends up being an unmitigated disaster, you can just blame us!

The Meatballs

We love meatballs. For our pasta recipe, we like to oven-bake them since it’s a little easier to manage, and allows you to get rid of excess fat while keeping the texture nice and tender.

You can also get the kids involved with their creation, too! We know our little ones truly enjoy rolling meatballs into shape (and subsequently throwing them afterwards).

The meatballs in our recipe feature egg, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and Fody’s garlic-infused olive oil. Did you really think we’d leave you hanging on a pasta dish without some semblance of garlic and onion?! We’re not monsters.

Be warned: Once you start using that garlic-infused olive oil, you may notice it creeping into your other low FODMAP lunch and dinner ideas, too. It’s the first of its kind to be tested and certified low FODMAP by Monash University, and one of our kitchen staples here at Fody.

We hope you and your family enjoy your low FODMAP pasta nights! Find everything you need and more in our online pantry, including all your favorites for healthy low FODMAP meals every day of the week!