Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

Make this Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs recipe for dinner this week!  Savoury turkey meatballs simmered in a rich tomato sauce…it just doesn’t get more delicious!  Ready in under 1 hour.

I partnered with Canadian Turkey to bring you this delicious turkey meatball recipe!  I was compensated for my time, but the recipe, all thoughts and opinions are my own as always.  We really love turkey.

With the end of summer just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about getting our families ready for back-to-school!  Making the transition from relaxed days, later bedtimes, sleeping in and weekend fun, to schedules, routines and healthy habits can be such a challenge.  But with some simple tips and tricks to get organized we can all deal with getting our kids ready for busy weekdays packed with school, activities, sports and homework!

One of the ways I get prepared for this busy time of year is to meal plan.  I’ll sit down on Sunday night and come up with a menu for the upcoming week.  Having a plan eliminates so much of the ‘What’s For Dinner?’ stress!  And my goal is to make healthy meals that can be on the table in under one hour, or meals that I can make in the slow cooker.  I just don’t have time for lengthy meal creations when we’re rushing in from school, and out the door for rugby!  One meal that is definitely going to be in our regular meal rotation is this recipe for Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs.

I love to use turkey in so many of my recipes.  I like that it’s a lean and healthy protein, so I always feel good about serving it to my family.  I also really like that because turkey is so versatile, I can substitute it into many of my favourite recipes like lasagna, stroganoff, and meatballs!

Turkey meatballs are hearty and really lean. You’ll be amazed when you’re cooking them at how lean they actually are…you won’t even have to drain the pan of any excess fat. And because ground turkey is a very mild flavoured protein it works well in meatballs…the meatballs will adapt to any flavour combination.  I made these meatballs especially for spaghetti by adding parmesan cheese to the mixture.  They are so flavourful and delicious!

One of the best things about these meatballs, is that they simmer in a rich tomato sauce for about 30 minutes, making them extra delicious for spaghetti!  For this recipe I’m also sharing a quick 30 minute homemade tomato sauce.  But if you want to make this recipe even easier for yourself, use a jar of your favourite pasta sauce.  Honestly, that’s what I do 90% of the time.  No guilt here.  😉

And the result is a big ol’ bowl of scrumptious spaghetti and meatballs.  SO good.  And always a favourite with kids.

I mean seriously, just look at them.  All saucy and delicious.

This is a great meal for a busy weeknight.  With minimal prep and cooking time, you can have it on the table in about 1 hour.  Enjoy.

Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

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Make this Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs recipe for dinner this week!  Savoury turkey meatballs simmered in a rich tomato sauce…it just doesn’t get more delicious!  Ready in under 1 hour.

• Author: Jo-Anna Rooney
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Turkey Meatballs:

• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 1 small onion (minced)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
• fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt

You can use a jar of your favourite pasta sauce, or make this quick and delicious tomato sauce:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion (minced)
• 4 – 6 cloves of garlic (peeled, but left whole)
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• salt and fresh ground pepper

Noodles:

• 1 lb of spaghetti noodles

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Instructions

Tomato Pasta Sauce:  Make the sauce first.

1. Sauté the onion and garlic in the 1 tbsp of olive oil, until they just start to turn brown.
2. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper.
3. Simmer for about 15 – 20 minutes.
4. Remove the bay leaf! Do not forget to do this or you will have hard bits in your sauce!
5. Put the sauce into a blender and puree, or you can use a hand blender.

Turkey Meatballs:

1. Combine the ground turkey, minced onion, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley and salt & pepper.
2. Shape into meatballs, about 2 inches round.
3. To a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp of olive or vegetable oil.  Add the turkey meatballs and cook until browned, about 1-2 minutes per side.  The meatballs may stick to the pan, so make sure you use enough oil, and gently turn them during the cooking process.

Putting it all together:

1. Pour the tomato sauce over the turkey meatballs and reduce the heat to low.  Simmer the sauce and meatballs until the meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes.  Make sure to stir occasionally.
2. While the sauce and meatballs are simmering you can start the noodles.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, and cook your spaghetti noodles.
4. Drain and add the pasta to the pan with the meatballs. Using tongs, gently toss to combine.
5. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Keywords: spaghetti and meatballs, turkey meatballs

More delicious recipes with ground turkey:

• Turkey Noodle Soup with Turkey Meatballs
• Tuscan Turkey Meatballs Soup
• Turkey Meatballs Subs
• Turkey Bombay Meatballs and Mushrooms

5 Tips to make back to school easy with Canadian Turkey:

1. Batch It!  Turkey is the perfect choice for batch cooking. Plan for recipes that are easy to scale, and cook extra turkey to provide planned leftovers, so you can cook once and eat twice!
2. Get Healthy!  Turkey is a great source of protein, important minerals and nutrients.  Power-up your plate without having to compromise on flavour with this tasty ingredient.
3. Keep It Simple!  Turkey can be cooked ahead of time and freezes well, so you can have an easy meal on hand during rushed weeknights and busy weekends.
4. Versatility Plus!  Turkey adapts to all of your favourite flavour profiles and spice combinations, and with so many cuts to choose from you can find choices that please the whole family. Turkey is a delicious option for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can serve it hot or cold, and it tastes great the next day, too!
5. Boost It!  Add turkey to your favourite dishes for an instant protein boost!  Salads, soups, pasta sauces and casseroles all benefit from the added nutrients turkey contributes.

Canadian Turkey Recipes, Tips & Nutrition:

Visit the Canadian Turkey website for all the tips, tricks, techniques and recipe inspiration you might need! There are more delicious turkey recipes for busy weeknights, a tonne of great information on turkey nutrition, how to cook turkey and more! 

Follow Canadian Turkey along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube channel. 

Have a delicious day!