Turkey & Spinach Meatballs | Recipeish | Gustus Vitae
Yield: Serves 4.
Time Estimate: 40 Minutes, including 20 unattended.
Storage Notes: May be kept sealed & refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Difficulty: Easy.
Time Estimate: 40 Minutes, including 20 unattended.
Storage Notes: May be kept sealed & refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Difficulty: Easy.
Turkey meatballs, generously padded out with blanched spinach, are a delicious, healthy alternative to the traditional Italian-American meatballs of pork, veal, beef, and breadcrumbs. This easy weeknight meal comes together quickly, with half of the cook time unattended, so you can take care of other stuff as dinner sets itself up.
Ingredients
- 1 LB ground turkey
- 2 Large bunches spinach (around 5 Cups)
- 3/4ths Cup panko or breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbs Garlic Basil Sea Salt
- 1 Large white onion
- 5 Cloves Garlic
- 2 Cups pasta sauce (we used reserved pre-made red sauce, made with This Thing of Ours, and This Thing of Ours Part II: The Truffle Edition)
- Dried fettuccini or spaghetti, as required
- 2 Tbs Herbed Truffle Seasoning
- 2 Tbs French Onion Seasoning
- 2 Eggs
- 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Spray duck fat
- 1/3-1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Basil, to garnish
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and preheat oven to 400F. If using pre-made or jarred sauce, place in small pot with water at medium temperature to warm up as you prepare everything else.
- Trim stems from spinach, and blanche, cooking for 2 minutes, before using a slotted spoon to transfer to a bath of ice cubes and water. Reduce heat of salted water, but keep on the stove.
- Strain spinach again, squeezing out as much moisture as you can, then rough chop, and reserve.
- Mince garlic, and peel and rough chop onion.
- Bring up a large sauté pan with olive oil to high heat, then add onions, garlic, and Garlic Basil Sea Salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until just starting brown - about 4 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk 2 eggs.
- Add ground turkey, panko, garlic & onion mix, spinach, Herbed Truffle Seasoning, and French Onion Seasoning.
- Mix well to thoroughly combine.
- Lightly spray a baking tray with duck fat, then begin forming meatballs. Aim for them all to be roughly the same size, just a bit smaller than golf balls.
- Pop in the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes. Bring water back up to a boil.
- At the 10 minute mark, add pasta. Briefly remove remove meatballs, and sprinkle over Parmesan. Return to oven, and cook meatballs and pasta a further 10 minutes.
- Strain pasta, return to pot, and toss with unsalted butter until well coated.
- To plate, coat the bottom of a high lipped plate or bowl with sauce, then add pasta and meatballs.
- Garnish with basil, serve, and devour.