Turkey Meatballs in Porcini Sauce
Recipe: Turkey Meatballs in Porcini Sauce
From: 12 Best Foods Cookbook
Serves: 4-6
cooking spray
4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. + 3/4 c. fine dry bread crumbs (homemade are best, storebought okay)
3 Tbsp. low-fat milk
1 lb. ground turkey breast
1/4 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 large egg
1 large egg white
3 Tbsp. grated pecorino cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Sauce:
1/2 c. dried porcini mushrooms
1 (28-oz.) can plum tomatoes, with their liquid
1 c. tomato sauce
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
Place the mushrooms in a small bowl. Add 1/2 c. hot tap water and set aside to soak until soft, 20 minutes.
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp. olive oil. Sauté red onion until it starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Add 1 clove minced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Put onion mixture into a large mixing bowl to cool.
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 c. bread crumbs with the milk. To the onion, add ground turkey, parsley, egg, egg white, cheese, 1 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, and bread crumb mixture. Work with a fork until well combined.
Spread remaining 3/4 c. bread crumbs on a dinner plate. Form the turkey into sixteen 2" meatballs and roll them in the crumbs until well coated. (You can refrigerate them at this point if you like.)
Add 2 tsp. oil to the skillet and return the pan to medium-high heat. Brown half the meatballs for about 8 minutes, using tongs to turn them. Remove them to a clean plate. Add the remaining 1 tsp. oil and brown the remaining meatballs. Do not clean the pan.
For the sauce, coarsely chop the tomatoes by working a serrated knife up and down in the can. Pour the tomatoes with their liquid into the skillet. Add the tomato sauce, yellow onion, 1 clove garlic, and thyme. Squeeze the liquid from the mushrooms (reserve liquid for another use if desired). Chop the mushrooms and add them to the sauce. Set the skillet over medium-high heat, and when it boils, add the browned meatballs, reduce the heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Turn the meatballs and cook another 10-15 minutes until white in the center and cooked through.
Remove the meatballs and stir balsamic vinegar into the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
Serve meatballs on top of spaghetti or linguini, 2-3 meatballs per serving, spooning sauce equally over.
Notes:
We found that 2-1/2 meatballs was a plenty big enough serving, as the sauce is very rich. It's a fairly fussy recipe but delicious.
An author-suggested variation: Form the turkey mixture into an oval meat loaf on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes until cooked through. Make the sauce to serve over sliced meat loaf.
From: 12 Best Foods Cookbook
Serves: 4-6
cooking spray
4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. + 3/4 c. fine dry bread crumbs (homemade are best, storebought okay)
3 Tbsp. low-fat milk
1 lb. ground turkey breast
1/4 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 large egg
1 large egg white
3 Tbsp. grated pecorino cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Sauce:
1/2 c. dried porcini mushrooms
1 (28-oz.) can plum tomatoes, with their liquid
1 c. tomato sauce
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
Place the mushrooms in a small bowl. Add 1/2 c. hot tap water and set aside to soak until soft, 20 minutes.
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp. olive oil. Sauté red onion until it starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Add 1 clove minced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Put onion mixture into a large mixing bowl to cool.
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 c. bread crumbs with the milk. To the onion, add ground turkey, parsley, egg, egg white, cheese, 1 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, and bread crumb mixture. Work with a fork until well combined.
Spread remaining 3/4 c. bread crumbs on a dinner plate. Form the turkey into sixteen 2" meatballs and roll them in the crumbs until well coated. (You can refrigerate them at this point if you like.)
Add 2 tsp. oil to the skillet and return the pan to medium-high heat. Brown half the meatballs for about 8 minutes, using tongs to turn them. Remove them to a clean plate. Add the remaining 1 tsp. oil and brown the remaining meatballs. Do not clean the pan.
For the sauce, coarsely chop the tomatoes by working a serrated knife up and down in the can. Pour the tomatoes with their liquid into the skillet. Add the tomato sauce, yellow onion, 1 clove garlic, and thyme. Squeeze the liquid from the mushrooms (reserve liquid for another use if desired). Chop the mushrooms and add them to the sauce. Set the skillet over medium-high heat, and when it boils, add the browned meatballs, reduce the heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Turn the meatballs and cook another 10-15 minutes until white in the center and cooked through.
Remove the meatballs and stir balsamic vinegar into the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
Serve meatballs on top of spaghetti or linguini, 2-3 meatballs per serving, spooning sauce equally over.
Notes:
We found that 2-1/2 meatballs was a plenty big enough serving, as the sauce is very rich. It's a fairly fussy recipe but delicious.
An author-suggested variation: Form the turkey mixture into an oval meat loaf on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes until cooked through. Make the sauce to serve over sliced meat loaf.