Country Italian Meatballs
posted on June 9, 2021
Nothing says Italian better than these Country Italian Turkey Meatballs– with homemade sauce and a few secret ingredients this recipe is the best EVER!
I have said it once and I will say it again- there is nothing like cooking in a good old fashioned cast iron pan. If you haven’t invested in one yet, then you definitely should!Â
The Deets
Ingredients:
- onions
- olive oil
- crushed tomatoes– buy the good kind! San Marzano are the best and you can usually find them in any grocery store-They are packaged in a big yellow can.
- whole tomatoes or tomato sauce– buy the good kind!
- fire roasted diced tomatoes– regular diced tomatoes will work just fine too.
- tomato paste
- white wine– red wine is great, but for this recipe I like white because it is a little lighter in flavor and doesn’t make it so heavy.Â
- minced garlicÂ
- basil– use whatever you have (dried or fresh), but I like the basil paste because it last for a long time and has such good flavor!
- black pepper
- salt
- italian seasoning
- parsley
- chili powder
- honey
- apple cider vinegar
- ground turkeyÂ
- ricotta cheese
- grated parmesan– the cheap stuff works, but you can be fancy if you want.
- sun dried tomatoes– make sure you get the kind that is marinated in oil and seasonings.
- spinach– fresh or frozen, whatever floats your boat.
Preparation:
There really isn’t much to this recipe and it can be made in no time! I will say though, that the longer this sauce sits, the better it gets. That is true with any sauce, but especially tomato sauce. Those flavors need time to bind together.
- Always start with the sauce first- let it cook for as long as possible! I like to start my sauce during nap time or early afternoon and let it simmer until I am ready to make the meatballs.
- Cook down the onions until they are nice and translucent, add the garlic and continue cooking for a few minutes, then add all of the rest of the ingredients and give it a good stir- simmer the sauce covered on low.
- Chop up the sun dried tomatoes and spinach and add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients (leaving out the ricotta)- mix together and then gently fold in the ricotta.Â
- Roll the mixture in to 1 1/2 inch balls and place on prepared cooking sheet.Â
- Roast at 425 degrees for 15 minutes and then turn the oven on broil and continue to cook for 5 minutes or until browned.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce and continue to cook for another 20-40 minutes.Â
- The meatballs may not be cooked through all the way when you transfer them to the sauce, so continue to let them cook in the sauce. This will add so much more flavor!
- Serve with your favorite pasta!
The Leftovers:
This recipe makes a big batch and is perfect for feeding a big family or great for meal prep. If you have a smaller family that does not like to eat leftovers, then cut it in half.
Leftover ideas:Â
- Meatball sandwhiches on garlic bread
- stuffed bell peppers with rice- just smash the meatballs up and toss it in with sauce and rice, stuff the peppers and roast in the oven.
- Or you can just eat them for lunch the next day. This recipe is great for meal prep!
I hope you give this recipe a try! Please let me know how much you love it by giving me a review, pinning it on Pinterest or tagging me on Instagram!
XOXO
Les
Country Italian Meatballs
Juicy turkey meatballs and homemade tomato sauce
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 28oz can of whole tomatoes or tomato sauce San Marzano are the best!
- 1 15oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes regular diced tomatoes will work too
- 1/2 can of tomato paste or 3 tbsp
- 1 cup of white wine any kind will work- even red wine if that's all you have
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp of basil paste, dried basil, or fresh basil I love the basil paste- found in the refrigerated section of the produce departmentTo
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/4 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp italian seasoning
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp honey
For the Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground turkey you can also use ground beef or italian sausage
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil chopped
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp basil paste, dried or fresh basil
Let's Make It
- To make the sauce, cook down the onions in the olive oil until softened, add the garlic and cook for an additional minute or two. Then, add the remaining sauce ingredients, give it a good stir and simmer covered on low until the meatballs are done.****If you are using whole tomatoes, blend them in a food processor or blender until they turn into a sauce-like texture.
- Meanwhile pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees- grab a bowl and a cookie sheet. In the bowl, add all of the meatball ingredients except for the ricotta cheese and mix thoroughly, then, add the fold in the ricotta- try not to over mix.
- Roll the meatballs in to 1 1/2 inch balls and place on prepared cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Cook the meatballs at 425 degrees for 15 minutes- then, turn the oven on broil and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer (uncovered) on low for another 20-40 minutes.****The meatballs my not be cooked all the way through, adding them to the sauce and letting them continue to cook will add a ton of flavor!
- Serve meatballs over your favorite pasta or tortellini. Enjoy!
