Italian Turkey Meatballs
What’s not to love about meatballs? They’re simple to make, work well in a variety of dishes, and can be frozen for future meals.
Ingredients
- Marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 1 pound ground turkey breast, preferably 93% lean
- ⅓ cup good-quality breadcrumbs, check with your local bread baker for breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmigianino Reggiano
- ⅓ cup grated Pecorino Romano
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 egg
- Pinch finely ground sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Warm the marinara sauce in a large pot until the sauce is at a light simmer.
- While the sauce cooks, prepare the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, breadcrumbs, cheeses, parsley, garlic, egg, salt and pepper, to taste. Using your hands, mix ingredients until well combined, being careful not to over-mix and form a paste.
- Once combined, gently roll meatballs between your two hands, forming 2-inch meatballs (or smaller, if you prefer) that are not too tight or compact. As you roll them, gently drop them into the sauce.
- Once the last meatball is in the pot, cook on low for 35 minutes.
- Serve with whole-wheat pasta or zucchini noodles and top with Pecorino and red pepper flakes, if desired. Leftovers can be refrigerated for approximately 3 to 4 days, or frozen for approximately 4 to 6 months.
Notes
Makes about 18 meatballs; a serving is 1 meatball
Nutrition Information per serving
Calories: 65Carbohydrates: 2gProtein: 6.5gTotal Fat: 3g— Unsaturated Fat: 2g— Saturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 145mgFiber: 0.5gTotal Sugar: 0.5g— Natural Sugar: 0.5g— Added Sugar: 0g
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.