Description
Spaghetti and meatballs. Such an iconic and timeless duo! Today I’m sharing with you my special turkey meatball recipe. Ingredients like fresh Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil leaves really make these meatballs a shining star!
Ingredients
- FOR THE MEATBALLS:
- 16 ounces, weight Ground Turkey
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
- ¼ cups Parmigiano Cheese
- ¼ cups Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 Egg
- 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
- ½ Small Yellow Onion, Fine Chopped
- 3 Tablespoons Italian Parsley
- ½ teaspoons Salt
- Pepper
- Olive Oil, As Needed
- 1 jar (40 Oz. Size) Marinara Sauce
- FOR THE PASTA:
- 8 ounces, fluid Pasta
- ½ cups Pasta Water
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Basil, Divided
Preparation
In a bowl, mix ground turkey, tomato paste, cream, cheese, panko, egg, garlic, onion, parsley, salt and pepper. Form into 1-tablespoon round balls (easiest to use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop).
Heat a large pan over medium heat. Drizzle pan with olive oil. Place meatballs in the pan, so they are not touching and have enough room to brown. Cook until the bottom is golden, then turn over. Cook for a few minutes. Grab the pan by the handle and in a swirling motion, roll meatballs around a bit, gently, getting all sides to cook a bit more. Transfer to a plate and do another batch. Continue this process until all the meatballs are cooked.
Add sauce to the pan and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil. Return meatballs to the sauce and cover with a lid. Bring sauce up to a low bubble and cook for 20–25 minutes.
Halfway through the meatballs cooking in the sauce, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a few pinches of salt and the noodles. Once noodles are al dente, take ½ cup of the pasta water and add it to your sauce.
Scoop pasta in to a bowl. Top with meatballs and some fresh basil and cheese.
