Spinach-Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

Our weekly menu usually includes a pasta dish. While French is my favorite cuisine to eat out, Italian is my favorite to make at home. So many good things start with a tomato sauce, but with pasta primavera my only exception, a pasta dinner is light on the veggies, if there are any at all. These meatballs are my effort to put something green in these dinners, similar to the ziti recipe.

Ingredients & Tools

• 2 lbs. ground turkey
• 1 package of thawed, drained frozen spinach
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
• a large bowl

Add the dried spices to the turkey and gently work them in with your hands. Avoid squishing the turkey or overmixing because you'll end up with dense meatballs.

Create a patty in your hand and add spinach to the center. I don't measure this. I just ensure there's enough spinach that the title of this recipe makes sense, but not so much that actually forming the meatball is tough.

That one on the bottom looks like it's going rogue.

Brown the meatballs in batches or cook them all at once on jelly rolls in the oven. I still need jelly rolls, so I do this on the stovetop.

Make your favorite sauce or use a store-bought brand--there's no shame in that. I use one 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes and dried spices. 

Cook the meatballs in your sauce for about 20 minutes or until they're cooked all the way through.

Enjoy your pasta dinner with a bit less guilt.