Turkey Meatballs and Ziti

I had some ground turkey in the fridge today and was in the mood for some pasta, so I decided to give turkey meatballs a try.  After searching online, I decided to go with my variation of a weightwatchers.com recipe.  The meatballs had good flavor; the sauce was okay, not my favorite.  (I’m not a huge fane of pieces of onion in my sauce.)  One day, I will post my family’s meatball and sauce recipe, but until then, this will definitely do!

Start with the sauce…

• Chop 1 onion and a few cloves of garlic.

• Heat 1 tablespoon of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

• Add the garlic and onion and sauté until softened, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil some water and start the meatballs…

• Place 1 package of ground turkey in the bottom of a large bowl.

• Tear up 2 pieces of white bread (I used Weight Watchers brand, of course!) and place the pieces in a food processor.

• Pulse the bread into crumbs and add to the turkey.

• Add 1 egg.

• Add 1 small shallot and 2 cloves of garlic, both minced.

• Add 1/4 teaspoon each of s&p.

• Check your water: when it’s boiling, add some salt and your favorite pasta.  (I used ziti.)
• Combine all ingredients with your hands.  (Be careful not to over mix!)

• Score the meat into 4 equal sections.
• Form 4-5 meatballs from each section.

• Heat some EVOO in a skillet over medium heat.
• Add several meatballs at a time.  (You do not want to overcrowd the pan!!)

• Cook, turning several times, until browned on all sides.

• When the meatballs are browned on all sides, add them to the simmering sauce.

• Stir gently to cover the meatballs in the sauce completely.

• Let the meatballs finish cooking in the sauce until the pasta is finished.
• Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to coat.

Serve with parmesan cheese and some Italian bread for dipping!  Enjoy!