Hi friends! Springtime in the mountains can sometimes look and feel a lot like winter! We got about 10 inches of snow yesterday and it is too beautiful for words… so I’ll show you a picture instead!
We played outside for over an hour, sledding and rolling in the snow, and when we came back inside, we were hungry!
These turkey meatballs & spaghetti (well, fettuccine because that’s what I had) really hit the spot, hearty and filling, but not too heavy.
I used 99% lean ground turkey (Manila friends, you can use the turkey breast from Santi’s if they’re open; if not, I think finely chopped chicken breast will work just fine.) To give them flavour and a bit of heat, I sautéed some onion, mushrooms, & garlic in a little olive oil, and added Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper. Breadcrumbs hold them together and give texture; if you’re out, dry oatmeal also works.
They came together really quickly- just mix together the sautéed veggies, seasonings, and breadcrumbs, and form into meatballs. You can either cook them right away or put them in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to a day or freeze for up to a month.
When ready to cook, just heat a little olive oil in a skillet and brown on all sides. It takes about 10-12 minutes over medium-high heat to cook them all the way through. Then add your sauce (I just used bottled sauce, Barilla I think, but just use whatever you like) and heat it through.
I always think of spaghetti & meatballs as being time-consuming, but this wasn’t at all. I think I had dinner on the table within 30 minutes of starting. Pretty good for a school night!
Take care, friends!
Ingredients
- 4 tsp olive oil, divided
- ½ onion, chopped fine
- 3-4 brown mushrooms, chopped fine
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ T. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lb ground turkey (99% lean)
- ¼ t. each: Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, black pepper
- ½ t. salt
- 2 T. ketchup
- ½ T. Dijon mustard
- 1 T. nutritional yeast (or parmesan cheese)
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- To serve:
- 1 jar of your favourite pasta sauce
- 1 lb spaghetti, cooked al dente
Instructions
- In a medium skillet, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushroom and saute for about 5 min or until veggies are soft. Add garlic & Worcestershire sauce and cook one more minute. Remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine sauted vegetables, ground turkey, seasonings, ketchup, mustard, nutritional yeast, and breadcrumbs. Mix well.
- Shape into 16 equal-sized balls. You can either cook them immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to a day (or freeze for up to a month.)
- To cook, heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the meatballs for about 10-12 minutes, browning on all sides and ensuring they are cooked through. Add pasta sauce and heat thoroughly. Serve over pasta.
