Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

This is one of our favorite meals. Our kids love pasta...you would think they were Italian. Now, they are not huge fans of sauce, but they love these meatballs on the side. I have adapted both recipes to fit our tastes. The meatball recipe comes from Everyday Food. The marinara comes from Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis.



Turkey Meatballs



1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1 white onion, finely chopped
Sometimes I add a couple cloves of garlic
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 pound ground turkey




Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, whisk together egg, milk, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with a fork. Stir in onion, breadcrumbs, and cheese. Add turkey, and mix until combined. Form mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls.

Pre-heat your oven to 350. Place the meatballs on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake until browned and cooked throughout. This should take 30-40 minutes depending on how big your meatballs are. Watch these closely you don't want them to stick or get burned. When they are finished place them in your sauce and gently spoon sauce over them serve with spaghetti or your favorite pasta.

Marinara Sauce


1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
3-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
Directions
In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. This makes quite a bit of sauce, I actually double it usually. I put it in to containers and freeze it. Then I have it on hand for whenever I need it.





xoxo
Rach