SPAGHETTI AND TURKEY MEATBALLS

courtesy of tia mowry

Time: 80 minutes

Number Of Ingredients: 19

Ingredients: old fashioned oats,milk,yellow onion,baby spinach leaves,parmesan cheese,kosher salt,fresh ground black pepper,garlic cloves,egg,ground turkey,grapeseed oil,crushed tomatoes,tomato paste,fresh oregano,red wine,red chili pepper flakes,spaghetti,fresh parsley,fresh basil

Steps:

1. for the turkey meatballs: add the oats to a food processor and pulse a few times
2. the consistency should resemble breadcrumbs
3. add the oats and milk to a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes
4. add the onions , spinach , parmesan , salt , pepper , garlic and egg to a large bowl and mix well
5. add the oat mixture and combine
6. lastly , add the turkey and gently fold into the wet mixture
7. keep the mixture light by not over-mixing
8. form into bite-size balls using a small cookie scoop for uniform meatballs
9. heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat
10. add half of the meatballs and brown on all sides , 5 to 7 minutes
11. remove and repeat with the second batch , adding more oil if needed
12. set the meatballs aside but reserve the dutch oven for the sauce
13. for the quick marinara sauce: add the tomatoes , tomato paste , oregano , salt , pepper and garlic to the dutch oven and stir
14. bring to a boil
15. reduce the heat , cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes
16. gently add the browned meatballs to the sauce
17. do not overcrowd
18. simmer until the meatballs are cooked thoroughly , another 10 to 15 minutes
19. if making the optional spicy version , add the red wine and chile flakes in the last 2 minutes of cooking
20. bring a large pot of water to a boil
21. season with a generous pinch of salt
22. add the spaghetti and cook until al dente , about 8 minutes
23. combine some of the sauce with the cooked spaghetti
24. plate the spaghetti and meatballs and add the remaining sauce over everything
25. garnish with parsley , basil and grated parmesan
26. serve hot

    time-to-make    main-ingredient    preparation    pasta    dietary    pasta-rice-and-grains    4-hours-or-less