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prestigealaska
Member
[attachment=0:2o3tdnrl]zuccpastaturkey mball.jpeg[/attachment:2o3tdnrl]
I make a big batch of these turkey meatballs and marinara and eat off it throughout the week. Super-easy, very "skinny", and unbelievably satisfying! And the zucchini "pasta" is made using a spiralizer; if you don't have one, or don't know what one is, stop whatever you're doing right now and buy one from Amazon immediately! This little kitchen gadget is around $15 and it will literally change your life! I haven't eaten actual pasta in about a year since I discovered this little gem! Imagine making pasta out of practically any vegetable - spaghetti, linguine, fettucine, angel hair - like I said, game changing. And stir fry! Oh, the stir fry possibilities...
Let's do this!!!
Serves 4
Ingredients for the meatballs and sauce:
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat for richer flavor, but I always use 99% fat-free ground turkey breast (and I think it's delicious!)
1 tbs finely chopped yellow onion
1 tbs chopped parsley
1 egg
1 tbs olive oil
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
3/4 cup Italian herb bread crumbs
Vegetable or olive oil, enough to fill saute pan 1/4"
28 oz canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, chopped or crushed, with their juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For the "pasta":
4 medium zucchini
2 tbs olive oil
Kosher salt
Dried chile pepper to taste
Directions:
First, make the meatballs in tomato sauce. In a large bowl put the ground turkey, onion, parsley, the egg, bread crumbs, olive oil, and nutmeg and integrate using a wooden spoon. Then gently knead the mixture without squeezing it (too much handling will toughen the meatballs) until evenly combined. Make 1-inch meatballs.
Choose a heavy saute pan that can accommodate all the meatballs in a single layer. Pour in enough vegetable/olive oil to come 1/4-inch up the sides. Turn on the heat to medium high and when the oil is hot, slip in the meatballs. Brown the meatballs on all sides, turning them carefully so they won't break up.
Remove from heat, tip the pan slightly, and with a spoon remove as much fat as floats to the surface. Return the pan to the burner over medium heat, add the tomatoes with their juice, a pinch of salt, and turn the meatballs over once or twice to coat them well. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to cook at a quiet, but steady, simmer for about 20-25 minutes, until the oil floats free of the tomatoes. Taste and correct for salt, add freshly ground pepper, and serve over the zucchini pasta.
(Ahead of time note: The dish can be cooked entirely in advance and stored in a tightly covered container for several days. Reheat gently before serving.)
For the pasta: While the meatballs are simmering, wash and trim both ends from the zucchini, and "spiralize" them into pasta whirls using the pasta blade on the spiralizer. Toss with a sprinkling of salt and set the finished pasta in a large strainer in the sink until the meatballs are ready.
Turn the meatballs off and let sit while you squeeze out any remaining moisture in the zucchini using paper towels or a salad spinner. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute the zucchini until cooked and lightly browned, approximately 2 minutes (you may have to do this in a couple of batches). Remove to a serving bowl, toss with more salt and some shakes of chili pepper, and pour the meatballs and sauce on top. Serve immediately - Mangia!
I make a big batch of these turkey meatballs and marinara and eat off it throughout the week. Super-easy, very "skinny", and unbelievably satisfying! And the zucchini "pasta" is made using a spiralizer; if you don't have one, or don't know what one is, stop whatever you're doing right now and buy one from Amazon immediately! This little kitchen gadget is around $15 and it will literally change your life! I haven't eaten actual pasta in about a year since I discovered this little gem! Imagine making pasta out of practically any vegetable - spaghetti, linguine, fettucine, angel hair - like I said, game changing. And stir fry! Oh, the stir fry possibilities...
Let's do this!!!
Serves 4
Ingredients for the meatballs and sauce:
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat for richer flavor, but I always use 99% fat-free ground turkey breast (and I think it's delicious!)
1 tbs finely chopped yellow onion
1 tbs chopped parsley
1 egg
1 tbs olive oil
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
3/4 cup Italian herb bread crumbs
Vegetable or olive oil, enough to fill saute pan 1/4"
28 oz canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, chopped or crushed, with their juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For the "pasta":
4 medium zucchini
2 tbs olive oil
Kosher salt
Dried chile pepper to taste
Directions:
First, make the meatballs in tomato sauce. In a large bowl put the ground turkey, onion, parsley, the egg, bread crumbs, olive oil, and nutmeg and integrate using a wooden spoon. Then gently knead the mixture without squeezing it (too much handling will toughen the meatballs) until evenly combined. Make 1-inch meatballs.
Choose a heavy saute pan that can accommodate all the meatballs in a single layer. Pour in enough vegetable/olive oil to come 1/4-inch up the sides. Turn on the heat to medium high and when the oil is hot, slip in the meatballs. Brown the meatballs on all sides, turning them carefully so they won't break up.
Remove from heat, tip the pan slightly, and with a spoon remove as much fat as floats to the surface. Return the pan to the burner over medium heat, add the tomatoes with their juice, a pinch of salt, and turn the meatballs over once or twice to coat them well. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to cook at a quiet, but steady, simmer for about 20-25 minutes, until the oil floats free of the tomatoes. Taste and correct for salt, add freshly ground pepper, and serve over the zucchini pasta.
(Ahead of time note: The dish can be cooked entirely in advance and stored in a tightly covered container for several days. Reheat gently before serving.)
For the pasta: While the meatballs are simmering, wash and trim both ends from the zucchini, and "spiralize" them into pasta whirls using the pasta blade on the spiralizer. Toss with a sprinkling of salt and set the finished pasta in a large strainer in the sink until the meatballs are ready.
Turn the meatballs off and let sit while you squeeze out any remaining moisture in the zucchini using paper towels or a salad spinner. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute the zucchini until cooked and lightly browned, approximately 2 minutes (you may have to do this in a couple of batches). Remove to a serving bowl, toss with more salt and some shakes of chili pepper, and pour the meatballs and sauce on top. Serve immediately - Mangia!
