Roasted Garlic Turkey Meatballs + Zoodles
These are my new favorite meatballs. When I make something for the blog, especially a meal, I try to work it into my meal plan for the week but after I cook and test and shoot the same thing for a few days, that's usually the last thing I want to eat, even if it's delicious. But when I tested the recipe for these the first time, I ate them for dinner every night until they were gone and did not get sick of them. They are that good.
They are lighter than typical beef and pork meatballs, but still totally flavorful, moist, and fluffy! The chicken sausage adds a ton of flavor, the little bit of thick yogurt (sounds weird but trust!) adds moisture and keeps them light in texture, and the sweet roasted garlic adds a flavor bomb! So good! I really like baking them because you don't have to deal with the mess of frying them on the stove top and babysitting them to flip every so often. Just pop 'em in the oven and let them do their thing.
The combination with the zoodles made me feel really great afterwards, too. I felt full and completely satisfied but still light and not like I wanted to just curl up on the couch and take a nap. Pasta will do that to ya, even a brown rice or quinoa pasta (or at least me!). But the lightness of the zoodles is perfect, plus it's an easy way to incorporate another serving of vegetables into the meal, which is awesome. If you don't like zucchini, try using sweet potatoes instead. The tomato sauce is quick and easy to throw together but still full of great flavor. It's a great compromise between cracking open a jar of store-bought marinara and simmering your grandma's recipe all day long. Cause nobody has time for that on a weeknight. I hope you make these and enjoy!
Roasted Garlic Turkey Meatballs + Zoodles
makes about 20 2 inch meatballs
meatballs
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 lb sweet italian chicken sausage (about 3 large links, casings removed)
2 heads garlic
olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 c plain whole milk greek or skyr style yogurt (I used Siggi's 4% because I like the thickness)
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 t fennel seeds
2 t dried oregano (or 1 t fresh)
2 t fresh thyme, finely chopped
big pinch red pepper flakes
1 egg, lightly beaten
big pinch of salt
sauce
2 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes, unsalted
2 T tomato paste
1 t organic cane sugar
2 t dried oregano
big pinch red pepper flakes
salt, to taste
2 T grass fed butter, unsalted
4 medium zucchinis, spiralized (here's my favorite spiralizer!)
grated parmesan, for sprinkling on top (optional)
roast the garlic
Preheat oven to 400 °F. Slice the very top off both heads of garlic, just enough to expose the top of the cloves. Place on the foil and drizzle tops with olive oil. Wrap the garlic up in the foil like a little parcel and place on a baking sheet and roast for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until garlic is completely tender and golden in color. Reduce oven temperature to 375 °F. While the garlic is still warm, squeeze the base of the bulb to squeeze the cloves out onto a small plate. Repeat with second head of garlic. With a fork, mash the garlic into a paste.
make the meatballs
Line a rimmed baking tray with parchment and set aside. Combine the turkey, chicken sausage, yogurt, breadcrumbs, fennel, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, egg, and garlic paste in a large bowl. Gently stir the mixture together until well combined. Using an ice cream scoop, form the meatballs and space out about an inch apart on the baking tray. I used about a 2 inch scoop but these are your meatballs so make them whatever size you'd like! Drizzle the meatballs with a little olive oil and bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly golden on top and internal temperature is at least 165 °F.
make the sauce
While the meatballs are roasting, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the garlic and saute for about a minute, until lightly golden and fragrant. Add in the crushed tomatoes and stir to incorporate the garlic. Add in the tomato paste, sugar, oregano, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Let the sauce simmer for as long as the meatballs roast (about 20 minutes), then stir in the salt and butter. Cut off the heat.
to serve
Add the roasted meatballs to the sauce and toss to coat. Ladle some sauce and a few meatballs over the zoodles. Enjoy!
