Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, more for serving, if desired

½ cup panko or other plain dried bread crumbs

¼ cup minced onion

¼ cup chopped chives or basil

2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane or minced

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

1½ pounds ground turkey, very cold

1 large egg, beaten

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed

3 cups marinara sauce, more to taste

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine cheese, bread crumbs, onion, chives, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano and red pepper flakes, if using, and mix well. Add turkey and egg and blend with your hands until well mixed. If you’ve got time, cover mixture and chill for an hour or up to 24 hours. These are easiest to form into balls while very cold. Form into 28 meatballs, each about 1¼-inches in diameter.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan. When hot, add enough of the meatballs to fit in one layer without crowding, and brown on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate, add another tablespoon of oil to pan and brown another layer of meatballs, transferring them to the plate as they brown. Repeat until all meatballs are browned, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

When meatballs are all browned, add marinara sauce to pan and bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits on the pan bottom. Return meatballs and their juices to pan, shake pan to cover the meatballs with sauce, and lower heat. Partly cover pan and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve hot, drizzled with more olive oil and sprinkled with more cheese, if you like.

Description

These meatballs are so delicious, light and tasty. We think they are the best that we have ever eaten, at home or prepared by others. They can be served with pasta, rice or potatoes.

Servings

4-6 but plan on 4 because seconds will be asked for.

Notes

By far, the best ever! They are light and tasty. I made some changes. I brought the sauce to a simmer and dropped the meatballs in and didn't disturb them for 15 minutes, and it worked perfectly. I cheated and used the frozen grated garlic. I didn't chill the meat mixture. Some shortcuts that worked perfectly.

Source

Melissa Clark for the New York Times