Spaghetti & Turkey Meatballs
+ Mushroom & Spinach Marinara
Spaghetti & Turkey Meatballs + Mushroom & Spinach Marinara
Recipe by Deana Saukam
Using dark meat turkey instead of traditional beef/veal/pork meatballs and adding in veggies to the sauce makes this a recipe an extremely delicious and healthier version that you won’t feel guilty incorporating into your regularly scheduled programming.
Using dark meat turkey instead of traditional beef/veal/pork meatballs and adding in veggies to the sauce makes this a recipe an extremely delicious and healthier version that you won’t feel guilty incorporating into your regularly scheduled programming.
- Prep Time2 hr 30 min
- Cook Time1 hr
- Total Time3 hr 30 min
- Yield4
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup panko or plain dried bread crumbs
- 1 white onion, minced
- ½ cup chives or flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane or minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 pound ground (not too lean) turkey, very cold. Use dark meat turkey if possible.
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small celery rib, very finely chopped
- 1 small carrot, grated
- ½ pound button or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups baby spinach
- Two 28-ounce cans whole plum tomatoes with juices, crushed
- 1/4 cup basil, finely chopped
- 1 pound spaghetti
Preparation
1
Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, whisk together egg, milk, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper with a fork. Stir in onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese, oregano, parsley or chives, and red pepper flakes, if using, and mix well. Add turkey, and blend with your hands until well combined. Cover mixture and refrigerate for an hour or up to 24 hours (these are easiest to form into balls while very cold). Form into 28 meatballs, each about 1 1/4-inches in diameter.
2
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan or dutch oven. When hot, add enough of the meatballs to fit in one layer without crowding, and brown on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate, add another tablespoon of oil to pan and brown another layer of meatballs, transferring them to the plate as they brown. Repeat until all meatballs are browned, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
3
Make the sauce: In the same large casserole or dutch oven that you used to brown the meatballs, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, ½ of a finely chopped onion and three minced garlic cloves along with the celery and carrot and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes, scraping up the browned bits on the pan bottom. Add mushrooms, spinach and optional red pepper flakes and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and basil, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Cook over moderately low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4
Return meatballs and their juices to the pan with the sauce, shake pan to cover or spoon sauce over the meatballs, and lower heat. Partly cover and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes.
5
Cook the pasta: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, following package instructions. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid, and transfer to the pan with the sauce, and toss gently. If the sauce is too thick, add some reserved pasta water to desired consistency. Serve with more freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
*If using freshly grated Parmesan, feel free to place the rind in the sauce while simmering, if desired. Remove before serving.
**Meatballs can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
***Meatballs and sauce can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time2 hr 30 min
- Cook Time1 hr
- Total Time3 hr 30 min
- Yield4
INGREDIENTS
For the Meatballs:
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup panko or plain dried bread crumbs
- 1 white onion, minced
- ½ cup chives or flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane or minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 pound ground (not too lean) turkey, very cold. Use dark meat turkey if possible.
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small celery rib, very finely chopped
- 1 small carrot, grated
- ½ pound button or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups baby spinach
- Two 28-ounce cans whole plum tomatoes with juices, crushed
- 1/4 cup basil, finely chopped
- 1 pound spaghetti
PREPARATION
1
Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, whisk together egg, milk, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper with a fork. Stir in onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese, oregano, parsley or chives, and red pepper flakes, if using, and mix well. Add turkey, and blend with your hands until well combined. Cover mixture and refrigerate for an hour or up to 24 hours (these are easiest to form into balls while very cold). Form into 28 meatballs, each about 1 1/4-inches in diameter.
2
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan or dutch oven. When hot, add enough of the meatballs to fit in one layer without crowding, and brown on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate, add another tablespoon of oil to pan and brown another layer of meatballs, transferring them to the plate as they brown. Repeat until all meatballs are browned, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
3
Make the sauce: In the same large casserole or dutch oven that you used to brown the meatballs, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, ½ of a finely chopped onion and three minced garlic cloves along with the celery and carrot and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes, scraping up the browned bits on the pan bottom. Add mushrooms, spinach and optional red pepper flakes and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and basil, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Cook over moderately low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4
Return meatballs and their juices to the pan with the sauce, shake pan to cover or spoon sauce over the meatballs, and lower heat. Partly cover and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes.
5
Cook the pasta: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, following package instructions. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid, and transfer to the pan with the sauce, and toss gently. If the sauce is too thick, add some reserved pasta water to desired consistency. Serve with more freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
*If using freshly grated Parmesan, feel free to place the rind in the sauce while simmering, if desired. Remove before serving.
**Meatballs can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
***Meatballs and sauce can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
