Italian · Lunch · Dinner
Baked Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Tender, herby turkey meatballs baked until golden and then simmered in a simple garlic and basil tomato sauce. Lean, filling and lovely over whole wheat spaghetti, zucchini noodles or crusty bread.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 22% · Fat 44% · Protein 34%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 500 g (about 1.1 lb)lean ground turkey (93% lean)
- 1 large50 gegg
- 1/3 cup35 gdry whole wheat breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup25 gParmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1/2 small60 gonion, grated (for meatballs)
- 2 cloves6 ggarlic, minced (for meatballs)
- 1/4 cup12 gfresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tspdried oregano
- 1/2 tspsalt (for meatballs)
- 1/2 tspblack pepper, ground
- 1 tsp5 golive oil (for the baking tray)
- 2 tsp9 golive oil (for the sauce)
- 1 medium110 gonion, finely chopped (for sauce)
- 3 cloves9 ggarlic, sliced (for sauce)
- 1 can (28 oz)794 gcanned crushed tomatoes, no salt added
- 1/4 tspsalt (for sauce)
- 1/4 tspred pepper flakes (optional)
- a small handful6 gfresh basil leaves
Steps
- 1
Heat the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F and brush a lined baking tray with 1 tsp olive oil.
- 2
In a large bowl, mix the egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, grated onion, minced garlic, parsley, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper.
- 3
Add the ground turkey and mix gently with your hands until just combined; do not overwork.
- 4
With damp hands, roll the mixture into about 20 meatballs and space them on the tray.
- 5
Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through to 74 °C / 165 °F in the centre.
- 6
Meanwhile, heat 2 tsp olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat and cook the chopped onion for 5 minutes until soft.
- 7
Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and stir for 1 minute.
- 8
Pour in the no-salt-added crushed tomatoes, add 1/4 tsp salt and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring now and then.
- 9
Tear in most of the basil, then add the baked meatballs and simmer for 5 minutes, spooning sauce over them.
- 10
Serve topped with the remaining basil.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For gluten-free meatballs, use breadcrumbs labelled gluten-free and serve over zucchini noodles or a pasta labelled gluten-free.
- For dairy-free meatballs, leave out the Parmesan and add an extra tablespoon of breadcrumbs plus a pinch more oregano to keep the mixture seasoned.
- Lean ground chicken works in place of the turkey with the same baking time, as long as the centre reaches 74 °C / 165 °F.
- If you can't find no-salt-added crushed tomatoes, use regular crushed tomatoes and skip the 1/4 tsp salt in the sauce, tasting before seasoning.
Storage
Refrigerate the meatballs and sauce in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot all the way through. They can also be frozen in their sauce for about 3 months; thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Make ahead
Roll the meatballs up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge until baking, or make the whole dish a day in advance and gently reheat it on the stove. The sauce can be simmered and chilled for up to 3 days before you add the meatballs.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: GlutenEggsMilk
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (407 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 353 kcal | 87 kcal |
| Protein | 30.4 g | 7.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 19.9 g | 4.9 g |
| of which sugars | 7.5 g | 1.8 g |
| Fiber | 5.3 g | 1.3 g |
| Fat | 17.8 g | 4.4 g |
| of which saturated | 4.7 g | 1.2 g |
| Sodium | 741 mg | 182 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
