Turkey Pesto Meatballs with Pasta
Here's a lip-smacking meal-in-a-bowl. Use pasta shells, orecchietti or other small pasta to catch the pesto and distribute the flavour evenly. Deb Perlman from Smitten Kitchen originated this recipe, to which more vegetables have been added for colour and variety. Make your own pesto with the recipe below or use storebought. Pesto can be made without nuts, if you're allergic.
Servings: 4
Time: ˆ1 hour
Note: To use a bouillon base for broth, replace the 2 cups of broth with 2 additional cups of pasta cooking water and add the bouillon to it. More pasta dishes: Pasta with Ricotta Pesto, Pasta with Hazelnut Pesto and Parmesan, One Pot French Onion Pasta
Ingredients
Olive oil, as needed
1 pound (455 grams) ground turkey
1/2 cup panko crumbs or plain, dry breadcrumbs
1 cup basil pesto, homemade (see below) or store bought, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2 tablespoons grated parmesan, plus more to serve
1 tablespoon water
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
1 pound (455 grams) zucchini, summer squash and/or peppers, asparagus, beans, broccoli or other vegetables, sliced
1 pound (455 grams) dried pasta, preferably orecchietti, shells or bowties
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (see Note)
Pesto
Basil darkens with exposure to air. Add parsley to maintain the green colour longer, and cover it with plastic wrap pressed against the surface, which also helps it keep the colour.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed or 2/3 cup dried basil (can sub half the basil leaves with baby spinach)
1/2 cup fresh parsley or 3 tablespoons dried parsley (optional)
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup pine nuts (can sub chopped almond, walnuts, chews or other nuts)
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
1 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Method for the Pesto
Chop the nuts and grate the cheese. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until thoroughly chopped and blended. Add the olive oil through the tube so the mixture becomes smooth, according to your taste.
Method for the Meatballs and Pasta
Heat an oven to 450°F. Coat a large sheet pan with oil, or line it with nonstick foil for easier cleanup.
Make the pesto first. Prepare the meatballs: Combine the turkey, panko, 1/4 cup of the pesto, half the minced garlic, 2 tablespoons grated parmesan, water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, many grinds of black pepper, and the egg in a large bowl. With a fork, mix until just combined.
Coat your palms lightly with olive oil and use a heaped tablespoon or 1.5-tablespoon scoop to measure the meatballs, rolling them briefly in palms to smooth them, and space them out on the prepared sheet pan.
Toss the vegetables in a big bowl with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and lots of black pepper. Scatter the zucchini around the meatballs on the tray.
Transfer the tray to the oven and roast for 15 to 18 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. For better colour on top, transfer meatballs and vegetables to your oven’s broiler for 3 to 4 minutes. Don't let them burn!
Meanwhile, make the pasta. In a large pot of well-salted water, cook the pasta until 1 minute shy of done, so it still has a little bite left to it. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water [and up to 3 cups, if using the bouillon option, see Note up top..
Heat the empty pasta pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 garlic cloves.
Cook the garlic until just golden at the edges, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of the broth and bring it to a simmer. Add 1/2 cup of remaining pesto, stirring just until warmed.
Transfer the meatballs and vegetables to the brothy pesto in the pot. Add the drained pasta. Cook everything together, tossing to evenly coat, for 1 to 2 minutes.
Distribute the meatballs, vegetables and pasta to wide serving bowls, ladling over any pesto broth left in the pot. Finish each bowl with an additional spoonful of the remaining pesto, more salt and pepper, and grated parmesan cheese. Serve warm.
Here's a lip-smacking meal-in-a-bowl. Use pasta shells, orecchietti or other small pasta to catch the pesto and distribute the flavour evenly. Deb Perlman from Smitten Kitchen originated this recipe, to which more vegetables have been added for colour and variety. Make your own pesto with the recipe below or use storebought. Pesto can be made without nuts, if you're allergic.
Servings: 4
Time: ˆ1 hour
Note: To use a bouillon base for broth, replace the 2 cups of broth with 2 additional cups of pasta cooking water and add the bouillon to it. More pasta dishes: Pasta with Ricotta Pesto, Pasta with Hazelnut Pesto and Parmesan, One Pot French Onion Pasta
Ingredients
Olive oil, as needed
1 pound (455 grams) ground turkey
1/2 cup panko crumbs or plain, dry breadcrumbs
1 cup basil pesto, homemade (see below) or store bought, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2 tablespoons grated parmesan, plus more to serve
1 tablespoon water
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
1 pound (455 grams) zucchini, summer squash and/or peppers, asparagus, beans, broccoli or other vegetables, sliced
1 pound (455 grams) dried pasta, preferably orecchietti, shells or bowties
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (see Note)
Pesto
Basil darkens with exposure to air. Add parsley to maintain the green colour longer, and cover it with plastic wrap pressed against the surface, which also helps it keep the colour.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed or 2/3 cup dried basil (can sub half the basil leaves with baby spinach)
1/2 cup fresh parsley or 3 tablespoons dried parsley (optional)
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup pine nuts (can sub chopped almond, walnuts, chews or other nuts)
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
1 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Method for the Pesto
Chop the nuts and grate the cheese. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until thoroughly chopped and blended. Add the olive oil through the tube so the mixture becomes smooth, according to your taste.
Method for the Meatballs and Pasta
Heat an oven to 450°F. Coat a large sheet pan with oil, or line it with nonstick foil for easier cleanup.
Make the pesto first. Prepare the meatballs: Combine the turkey, panko, 1/4 cup of the pesto, half the minced garlic, 2 tablespoons grated parmesan, water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, many grinds of black pepper, and the egg in a large bowl. With a fork, mix until just combined.
Coat your palms lightly with olive oil and use a heaped tablespoon or 1.5-tablespoon scoop to measure the meatballs, rolling them briefly in palms to smooth them, and space them out on the prepared sheet pan.
Toss the vegetables in a big bowl with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and lots of black pepper. Scatter the zucchini around the meatballs on the tray.
Transfer the tray to the oven and roast for 15 to 18 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. For better colour on top, transfer meatballs and vegetables to your oven’s broiler for 3 to 4 minutes. Don't let them burn!
Meanwhile, make the pasta. In a large pot of well-salted water, cook the pasta until 1 minute shy of done, so it still has a little bite left to it. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water [and up to 3 cups, if using the bouillon option, see Note up top..
Heat the empty pasta pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 garlic cloves.
Cook the garlic until just golden at the edges, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of the broth and bring it to a simmer. Add 1/2 cup of remaining pesto, stirring just until warmed.
Transfer the meatballs and vegetables to the brothy pesto in the pot. Add the drained pasta. Cook everything together, tossing to evenly coat, for 1 to 2 minutes.
Distribute the meatballs, vegetables and pasta to wide serving bowls, ladling over any pesto broth left in the pot. Finish each bowl with an additional spoonful of the remaining pesto, more salt and pepper, and grated parmesan cheese. Serve warm.