Turkey-Avocado Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash and Chimichurri
Recipe Turkey-Avocado Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash and Chimichurri
This recipe from Kate Miller of Los Angeles, is a winner—literally. It scored Kate a trip for two to Napa Valley (yep, it’s that good)! This healthy and outside-the-box rendition of pasta with meatballs features loads of wholesome ingredients, like avocado and spaghetti squash. Plus, the cilantro-lime chimichurri adds a ton of flavor. Don’t be put off by the three parts—they all come together quickly and easily. Pair this mouthwatering dish with a glass of crisp, white wine and enjoy!
- Prep time
- Total Time
SPAGHETTI SQUASH
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
TURKEY-AVOCADO MEATBALLS
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
- 1¼ pounds lean ground turkey
- 3 avocados, diced
- 2½ ounces crumbled cotija or feta cheese
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
CILANTRO-LIME CHIMICHURRI
- 2 bunches fresh cilantro
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the spaghetti squash:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper, and mist with olive oil spray.
Place on a baking sheet cut-side down and bake 40 to 45 minutes, until fork tender.
For the turkey-avocado meatballs:
In a pan, toast ground cumin and chili powder 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.
Wipe out the pan, add a drizzle of olive oil along with the onion and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add to the bowl with the spices.
Add the ground turkey, avocados, cheese, pepper and salt to the bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Roll into 2-ounce meatballs and place in baking dish.
Place in oven and bake for 18 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
For the cilantro-lime chimichurri:
In a small pan, toast red pepper flakes for about 1 minute.
Combine all ingredients except for extra virgin olive oil in high-powered blender or food processor and blend. Slowly add extra virgin olive oil until blended smoothly.
To serve:
Place about ¾ cup spaghetti squash in a bowl. Place 3 to 4 meatballs on top. Drizzle cilantro-lime chimichurri over and finish off with additional crumbled cotija or feta cheese (optional).
Nutrition provided for 4 meatballs, 2 cups spaghetti squash, and 1 tablespoon cilantro-lime chimichurri.
Want more meatballs? Try these tasty recipes: Savory Chicken Meatballs with Roasted Grapes, Chicken Parm Meatballs and Pumpkin Spinach Meatballs!
Nutrition analysis courtesy of Genesis® R&D
- Calories: 360
- Protein: 18 g
- Total Fat: 23 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 29 g
- Dietary Fiber: 8 g
- Total Sugar: 8 g
- Natural Sugar: 8 g
- Added Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
Please make this Turkey Avocado meatball recipe PRINTABLE. Â Enjoyed it and want to SHARE it too..THANKS
Hi Debbie. We recently upgraded Joy’s site and are working our way through all the recipes, so they are all easy to navigate and print. We hope to get through them all very shortly. Thanks for your patience and we’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe and want to share it! 🙂
—Team Joy