Turkey Pesto Meatballs and Zucchini Noodles
Turkey Pesto Meatballs and Zucchini Noodles
Lean ground turkey and fresh pesto make these delicious Turkey Pesto Meatballs
Why Grated Parmesan Cheese is my favorite pantry staple
Years ago when I started working in a Bariatric Surgery Clinic I learned from the dietitian I work alongside to use Grated Parmesan Cheese instead of breadcrumbs for meatloaf. Boy, did I take that information and run!
Since that conversation I have created nearly 15 meatloaf recipes, because I really love meatloaf. For sure I love the classic version, but Tex Mex or Italian or Barbecue are great ways to change it up. The options are just endless!
This same trick can make a meatloaf recipe into a meatball recipe. At the end of the day, aren’t meatballs just miniature meatloaves? I love using my cookie scoop to make several meatballs quickly. Sometimes I add a vegetable in the mix like spinach in these Turkey Spinach Meatballs.
Oh I didn’t stop there with the grated parmesan cheese. I also use it for breading chicken like these chicken nuggets! I do try to purchase reduced fat Grated parmesan cheese and add some seasoning to the mix when I use it as a breading.
Turkey Pesto Meatballs with Zucchini Noodles
Equipment
- Serrated Peeler
Ingredients
Turkey Pesto Meatballs
- 1 lb ground turkey 93% lean
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese reduced fat
- 1 egg white
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1.5 tbsp pesto I used Costco® brand
Zucchini Noodles
- 2 medium zucchini peeled into noodles
- 1 cup marinara sauce lowest sugar available
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 F.
- In a mixing bowl add all meatball ingredients. Mixture will be messy and sticky. Use hands to divide into meatballs on a lined baking sheet. Will make approximately 9 large meatballs.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160F. Use the back of a spoon to remove any rendered fat. Place on a plate lined in paper towels and blot any seen oil.
- While meatballs cook, make zucchini noodles. I use the serrated peeler from The Pampered Chef® but can also be found from OXO® on Amazon. Put in a microwave safe bowl with a vented lid and microwave for 4 minutes or heat in a small sauce pan until cooked. No extra liquid is needed because of it's high liquid content.
- Add marinara sauce to zucchini noodles. The cooked noodles will warm the sauce however if you want sauce warmed further put back in microwave or over heat.
- Serve meatballs with marinara zucchini noodles.