Turkey Meatballs with Tomato Sauce & Noodles
Author: Denise Costello
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- Red pepper flakes
- 26 oz diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
- 4 fresh sage leaves, minced
- 4 large basil leaves, minced
- ¼ cup Italian parsley, minced
- 1 pound ground dark turkey
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 bag buckwheat noodles (I like Orgran, available at Whole Foods)
Instructions
- Tomato Sauce: place medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil. When oil is warm, add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until garlic sizzles, 3-5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and bring to simmer.
- Meatballs: Combine shallot, minced herbs, turkey, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Gently mix until just combined. Using wet hands, make 1-inch meatballs. Place 8-10 meatballs on a large plate and microwave for 2 minutes. Remove meatballs from plate, add to tomato sauce and cover sauce. Drain grease from plate and repeat with remaining turkey mixture.
- Noodles: bring large pot of water to boil. Follow directions on package – buckwheat noodles often need to be rinsed after cooking to prevent them from sticking. After rinsing, add teaspoon of olive oil and toss noodles.
- Simmer meatballs in sauce for 20 minutes. Remove meatballs to serving bowl and keep warm while you puree tomato sauce, either using an immersion blender or in a blender – be careful transferring, the sauce will be hot. Taste sauce for seasoning.
- Serve over buckwheat noodles and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.