Friday, October 25, 2013

10.25.13

Not Your Nonna's Spaghetti and Meatballs.


The other day I was in the mood for a "light" meal but had no desire for a salad. Don't get me wrong, I love salads but sometimes they just don't cut it as a dinner. Per usual, I referred back to Pinterest for some inspiration. Looking through my boards, I came across one of my favorite recipes. I realize turkey and spinach meatballs don't sound amazing, but they are! Since I was not feeling like pasta, I began scouring for alternatives. I thought about the whole spaghetti squash situation but I didn't feel like putting in the work in addition to the meatball making (so lazy!). That's when I came across zoodles. Zucchini Noodles. I was SOLD. Most of the recipes I saw seemed fairly simple so I went rogue and decided to make them the way that seemed right to me. Topped off with some good ole Trader Joe's pasta sauce, the meal turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.






Meatball Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground turkey meat
  • 5 oz. fresh spinach (the original recipe called for frozen but I prefer fresh)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
  • S & P
Zoodle Ingredients
  • 2 medium zucchinis
  • 1 tbsp. EVOO
  • Your favorite pasta sauce
Steps:
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients using your hands.
  • Roll meatballs (about the size of golf balls) and put them onto a parchment lined baking pan.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes (mine usually take 40).
  • While the meatballs are baking, wash your zucchini.
  • Using a vegetable peeler, peel your zucchini to make the "pasta." Stop when you hit the seeds!
  • In a medium pan, heat the EVOO over medium high heat.
  • Add zucchini ... Only cook it until it becomes slightly tender - about 3-5 minutes. Just like pasta, you don't want it to get mushy.
  • To serve, put about 3/4 cup warmed pasta sauce in a bowl, add zoodles, and meatballs! YUM.

1 comment:

ericahr said...

Finally got around to making this! SO tasty! New favorite. Thanks for the share, KS!