Turkey Zucchini Meatballs with Pesto

Turkey Zucchini Meatballs are filled with all the goodness of summer and served with zucchini noodles. Even if you've never made meatballs, this tried and true recipe is always a success!

If you want summer meatballs, Turkey Zucchini Meatballs are what to make.

With just 25 minutes of prep time, and a short cooking time of only 15 minutes on the stove, this recipe is begging to be made again and again.

Loaded with basil pesto and grated zucchini, you might even have some of the ingredients in your own backyard.

The Ingredients

• ground turkey - I like to use about 85% lean. A 15% fat content helps keep the meatballs juicier.
• basil - Choose perky bunches free of bruises or yellowing leaves.
• pine nuts - They'll be toasted before we use them in the pesto portion of the meatball recipe. This will deepen their flavor and bring their oils to their surface. (You can also purchase already toasted pine nuts.)
• sun dried tomatoes in oil - We'll use both the tomatoes and the oil in the pesto.
• Parmesan cheese - Ideally Parmigiano Reggiano.
• fresh garlic - Look for firm heads of garlic without any soft spots or green shoots, which are an indication it's old and will be especially bitter. Raw garlic cloves should be firm without any dark spots. (Pro tip: if there are green shoots in garlic, just cut the cloves in half and remove them with the tip of a paring knife. The rest of the clove should still be good.)
• bread crumbs - You can use gluten-free or regular. I like Panko, which is a Japanese-style breadcrumb without crust. They're more like flakes than crumbs, and they are also lighter and crispier than regular breadcrumbs.
• egg
• zucchini - Some of the zucchini will be grated for the meatballs and some will be made into "noodles" for the final dish. There are a few different kitchen tools that will easily turn your zucchini into noodles. Some are a bit more of a production, like a Spiralizer, and some -- like a Julienne peeler, are quite simple.
• kosher salt - I cook with Kosher salt because I like its larger flake size and it usually doesn't contain additives. (If you use table salt, use half the amount.)
• black pepper - Preferably freshly ground.
• tear-drop or cherry tomatoes - Color and feel are the best cues to ripeness for tomatoes. They should be slightly firm and have a deep red color (or whatever the color is intended to be).

Substitutions and Variations

If I don't list an ingredient with a substitution, it means I think it's best not to substitute it.

• Ground turkey. You can swap the turkey for ground chicken. While beef is okay, the flavor profile is best with turkey and chicken.
• Parmesan. If you would like to substitute the Parmesan with another cheese, Pecorino and Fontina are both good choices.
• Fresh garlic. If you're ready to cook and don't have fresh garlic, you can substitute it with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Sun-dried tomatoes in oil. Do not substitute the marinated sun-dried tomatoes with fresh tomatoes, as they will add too much liquid to the meatballs. You can use dried tomatoes, hydrate them in very hot water for at least 15 minutes, drain them and add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to them.

Recipe Tips

• If you don't have a tool to make the zucchini noodles, cut a whole zucchini, lengthwise, into thin slices, then stack a few together, and cut those into very thin "noodles."
• gluten-free? Be sure to use gluten-free panko.
• It's very important to not skip "wringing out" the grated zucchini. It has a very high water content and will add too much liquid to the meatballs if you don't do this step. It's easy! And be sure to do it as close to the time you need it as possible so it doesn't collect more liquid.
• These meatballs are not going to be perfectly round. Just roll with it. 🙂

How to Make it

- Add the pine nuts to a small sauté pan and place it over medium-low heat. Shaking the pan gently to move them around often, heat just until they’re golden, very aromatic and look oily.

- To make the pesto, add the basil, Parmesan, toasted pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, sun-dried tomato oil, and garlic to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend until all of the ingredients are tiny pieces. Set aside.

- In the food processor, this time with the grater attachment, grate the zucchini. (You can also use a hand grater.) Use your hands to "wring out" the grated zucchini, small handful by small handful, to remove as much liquid as you can. Then firmly fill 1 cup measure cup with it. (You might have extra that you can save for another use, like a stir-fry or to toss in a salad.)

Above: To give you an idea of how the grated zucchini will transform after squeezing out the liquid . . . The pile on the left is straight out of the food processor, and the pile on the right started as the same size, but has been wrung out.

- Add the pesto and zucchini to a large bowl with the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg and salt. Mix just until it’s evenly blended.

- Shape the mixture into balls, about 2 to 3 tablespoons each. Roll them between your hands to make balls, and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet as you go -- there should be about 20.

- Coat the bottom of a large skillet (12 to 14-inch) with olive oil, and place it over high-medium heat. Once it's very hot, add the meatballs (they should all fit with a small amount of space between them). Use tongs or a spatula to move them around during the first couple of minutes to evenly brown the sides. Then turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook just until the meatballs are cooked through, about 7 minutes.

- Remove them from the skillet and place them on a large plate covered with foil. Do not wash the skillet.

- To make the zucchini noodles, use a spiralizer, julienne peeler or a Chef's knife to cut the zucchini into thin strips, like spaghetti.

- Coat the bottom of the same skillet you cooked the meatballs in with more olive oil. Add the raw zucchini noodles and over medium heat, stirring very gently from time to time, cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

- Serve the turkey zucchini meatballs over the zoodles and garnish with the sliced tomatoes.

More Delicious Summer Zucchini Recipes

• Peach and Avocado Salad with Zucchini
• Zucchini Avocado Bread Recipe
• Roasted Hatch Chile Zucchini Bread Recipe
• Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Oilve Oil

Serving Suggestions

For casual entertaining, or a family weeknight dinner in the summer, serve turkey zucchini meatballs and zoodles with a green salad with seasonal fruit. Watermelon Basil Salad, Peach Caprese Salad and Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad would all make for an excellent pairing.

Making the Meatballs Ahead

(I wouldn't make the zucchini noodles ahead, as they'll likely get soggy.)

• To make cooking much easier on the day of serving, make and shape the meatballs a the day before. Keep them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, covered tightly with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Then cook them about 15 minutes before you want to serve.
• I think turkey zucchini meatballs are best right out of the pan, however, they can be cooked up to two days ahead of time. Reheat them in the microwave or in a 375°F oven just until hot.

I hope you love this summer dinner recipe as much as my family and I do!

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