Serves 4
An easy weeknight supper begins with your favorite commercial tomato sauce and homemade turkey meatballs. Mix Parmesan, panko, and a touch of lemon rind with ground dark-meat turkey, form the mixture into balls, and simmer them in the sauce for 20 minutes. To portion out the ground meat, use a medium-size (two-tablespoon) cookie scoop. Skip the browning (you won’t miss the mess) and put the meatballs directly into the sauce in a deep skillet. Cover and let them cook over low heat, turning them in the sauce halfway through cooking. If the sauce seems thick or the meatballs begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, add water to the sauce. To make the dish lighter for summer, skip the pasta. Serve the meatballs in a bowl with a salad on the side for a quick and healthy meal.
| 1 | egg |
| ¼ | cupmilk |
| ½ | cup panko or other unseasoned dry white breadcrumbs |
| 1 | tablespoon grated raw onion |
| 1 | tablespoon grated lemon rind |
| 1 | teaspoon salt |
| ¼ | teaspoon black pepper |
| ¼ | cup chopped fresh parsley |
| ¼ | cup grated Parmesan cheese |
| 1 | pound dark-meat ground turkey |
| 1 | jar or can (28 ounces) tomato sauce |
| ¾ | cup water, or more if needed |
| Extra grated Parmesan (for serving) | |
| Extra chopped parsley or basil (for garnish) |
1. Have on hand a 9- to 10-inch-deep skillet with a lid.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Add the milk, panko or breadcrumbs, onion, lemon rind, salt, pepper, parsley, and Parmesan. With a large kitchen spoon, mix well. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes so the panko can absorb the liquid. Add the turkey to the bowl and mix until combined.
3. Pour the tomato sauce into the skillet and stir in the water.
4. Use about 2 tablespoons of the turkey mixture to form 18 to 20 meatballs. Set them in the skillet in one layer as you shape them. Spoon the sauce over the meatballs to coat them.
5. Set the skillet over over medium heat, cover the pan, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook the meatballs at a steady, gentle simmer. After 10 minutes, turn them in the sauce. If necessary, add more water to the pan, 1/4 cup at a time, to prevent the meatballs from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook for 10 minutes longer, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball registers 165 degrees. (Total cooking time is 20 minutes.)
6. Divide the meatballs and sauce among 4 shallow bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley or basil.
Sally Pasley Vargas
Serves 4
An easy weeknight supper begins with your favorite commercial tomato sauce and homemade turkey meatballs. Mix Parmesan, panko, and a touch of lemon rind with ground dark-meat turkey, form the mixture into balls, and simmer them in the sauce for 20 minutes. To portion out the ground meat, use a medium-size (two-tablespoon) cookie scoop. Skip the browning (you won’t miss the mess) and put the meatballs directly into the sauce in a deep skillet. Cover and let them cook over low heat, turning them in the sauce halfway through cooking. If the sauce seems thick or the meatballs begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, add water to the sauce. To make the dish lighter for summer, skip the pasta. Serve the meatballs in a bowl with a salad on the side for a quick and healthy meal.
| 1 | egg |
| ¼ | cupmilk |
| ½ | cup panko or other unseasoned dry white breadcrumbs |
| 1 | tablespoon grated raw onion |
| 1 | tablespoon grated lemon rind |
| 1 | teaspoon salt |
| ¼ | teaspoon black pepper |
| ¼ | cup chopped fresh parsley |
| ¼ | cup grated Parmesan cheese |
| 1 | pound dark-meat ground turkey |
| 1 | jar or can (28 ounces) tomato sauce |
| ¾ | cup water, or more if needed |
| Extra grated Parmesan (for serving) | |
| Extra chopped parsley or basil (for garnish) |
1. Have on hand a 9- to 10-inch-deep skillet with a lid.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Add the milk, panko or breadcrumbs, onion, lemon rind, salt, pepper, parsley, and Parmesan. With a large kitchen spoon, mix well. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes so the panko can absorb the liquid. Add the turkey to the bowl and mix until combined.
3. Pour the tomato sauce into the skillet and stir in the water.
4. Use about 2 tablespoons of the turkey mixture to form 18 to 20 meatballs. Set them in the skillet in one layer as you shape them. Spoon the sauce over the meatballs to coat them.
5. Set the skillet over over medium heat, cover the pan, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook the meatballs at a steady, gentle simmer. After 10 minutes, turn them in the sauce. If necessary, add more water to the pan, 1/4 cup at a time, to prevent the meatballs from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook for 10 minutes longer, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball registers 165 degrees. (Total cooking time is 20 minutes.)
6. Divide the meatballs and sauce among 4 shallow bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley or basil.
