Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy The Neelys

Turkey Meatballs:
3 slices white bread, crust removed and torn into small shreds
1/4 cup whole milk
3/4 pound ground turkey (recommended: 93 percent lean dark meat)
1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for pan-frying

Spicy Tomato Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, in thick puree
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente

For the meatballs: Preheat vegetable oil over medium heat. In a medium bowl, soak the torn white bread with the milk. Let soak for 1minute then remove the bread and squeeze out the excess milk. In another bowl, add ground turkey, turkey sausage, Parmesan, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper. Add milk soaked bread and mix all ingredients gently. Form meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. In a large heavy skillet, add meatballs and cook until golden brown on all sides. Remove the meatballs to a paper towel lined platter. Repeat in batches until there are no remaining meatballs. Add meatballs to the cooked sauce and add salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for 10 minutes. For the sauce: Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant. Add crushed tomatoes and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add dried basil, sugar, salt and pepper. Toss spaghetti and sauce with meatballs in a large serving bowl. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Amy’s Notes: I use 1.25 pounds of ground turkey, leave out the sausage and double the sauce!