Does a meatball recipe count as a complete meal or does the required side push it past 45 minutes?

A well-organized meatball recipe, ground meat with aromatics, binder, and hard cheese worked through, can plausibly reach the table inside 45 minutes. But the meatball rarely stands alone. If a complete meal requires a starch or vegetable alongside it, does the total time still hold, or does the side quietly disqualify what otherwise looks like a qualifying recipe?