Turkey Zucchini Meatballs Recipe
Turkey Zucchini Meatballs are filled with all the goodness of summer and served with zucchini noodles. Even if you've never made meatballs before, this is a tried and true recipe that's always a success!
Servings: 4 to 6
Calories: 365kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 cup packed basil leaves, washed and dried
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes marinated in olive oil drained
- 2 tablespoons oil from the marinated sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon smashed garlic cloves, stem ends cut off
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup super packed, grated and squeezed zucchini (see instructions no. 3)
- ⅓ cup gluten-free or regular breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg, lightly blended
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt (or half the amount if using table salt)
For the Noodles
- 1½ pounds zucchini (about 4 medium-sized zucchini), washed and dried
- olive oil for the pan
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnish
- 1 cup tear-drop or cherry tomatoes, washed and dried, sliced in half for garnish
Instructions
For the Meatballs
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the pesto. 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. 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.
- Prep the zucchini. In the food processor, this time with the grater attachment, grate the zucchini. (You can also use a hand grater.) Now 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.)
- Mix and shape. Add the pesto and zucchini to a large bowl with the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg and salt. Use a large mixing spoon -- or even better, your hands -- to mix everything together.Shape the mixture into balls, about 2 to 3 tablespoons each. Roll them between your hands to make them smooth and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet as you go -- there should be about 20. They will be somewhat sticky, which is okay.
- Cook. 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. Set the meatballs aside.
For the Noodles (Zoodles)
- Prepare the zucchini. Use a spiralizer, julienne peeler or a Chef's knife to cut the zucchini into thin strips, like spaghetti.
- Sauté. 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.
Assembly
- Serve the turkey zucchini meatballs over the zoodles and garnish with the sliced tomatoes.
Notes
Nutritional information is only an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 1176mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1106IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 3mg