Tuscan Meatballs

This recipe has been a family favorite for many years! My kids would get SO Excited when I made it. Even now if I have them over, they are thrilled.

I just made a double batch for my husband to take to our son's family when he sees him tomorrow. You can make it ahead and it will reheat just fine. Great for taking to new moms, people coming home from the hospital or even pot lucks.

I would love to hear your opinion when you try this!

Ingredients

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 lb. ground turkey

1 egg

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2/3-3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

1 tsp. garlic salt

black pepper to taste

1-2 Tbs. olive oil

12 oz. spaghetti

1/2-3/4 cup white wine or chicken broth

3 Tbs. margarine

1-2 cloves garlic

Parmesan Cheese to serve

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix Spinach, turkey, egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan, mozzarella, garlic salt and pepper in a bowl. Shape mixture into meatballs (about 30).

(* You can also skip this next part and put meatballs directly on pan, but you will not be able to dehaze pan later). They will still be delicious! The meatballs will brown in the oven without browning them in a pan. This method of browning them is for the deglazing process. If you are pressed for time you can skip this step.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs, about 2-3 minutes.

Once browned, place meatballs on in a baking pan and move pan directly to oven to finish cooking, about 20 minutes.

Once meatballs are baking, bring large pot of lightly salted water to boiling.

Cook the spaghetti until al dente. (Al dente describes pasta or rice that is cooked to be firm to the bite).

When meatballs are done, transfer to a plate to keep warm.

Deglaze skillet with wine or broth. (Deglazing is simply the act of adding liquid to a hot pan, which allows all of the caramelized bits stuck to the bottom to release).

Add margarine and garlic; let thicken slightly.

Once pasta is done. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water.

Add pasta to sauce in the skillet plus some pasta water, as needed.

Toss pasta to coat, then add meatballs back to the skillet. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Nutrition Information

Calories 470

Carbohydrates 54 gm

Fat 16 gm

Sodium 437 mg

Let us know what you think!