Braised Turkey Meatballs with Quick Tomato Sauce
Serve these meatballs on their own (with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the flavorful sauce) or spoon over spaghetti. Add a tossed green salad and dinner is served.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbs. plus 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, grated
- 1/2 large carrot, peeled and grated
- Kosher salt, to taste, plus 1 tsp.
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 1/2 cups fine fresh bread crumbs
- 1 egg, whisked
- 2 tsp. chopped fresh sage
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
- 2 cans (each 28 oz.) whole San Marzano tomatoes, with juices
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving
Directions
In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot and a few pinches of salt and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
Add the ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, sage, the 1 tsp. salt and the 1/2 tsp. pepper to the bowl and mix gently but thoroughly with your hands. Form the mixture into 12 meatballs, each about 3 Tbs.
In the same pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the meatballs and cook until browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate.
Put the tomatoes and their juices in a food processor. While pulsing, slowly stream in the 1/4 cup olive oil through the feed tube until the tomatoes are pureed but still a bit chunky. Stir in the garlic and oregano, and season with salt and pepper.
Pour the tomato sauce into the same pan, place over medium heat and heat until the sauce is warm. Add the meatballs, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring once or twice, until the meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Divide the meatballs and sauce among individual pasta bowls. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.