Lightened Up Spaghetti & Meatballs

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My mother always made the most wonderful spaghetti dinners on Sundays; you always knew it was Sunday morning when you awoke just by the smells coming from the kitchen. Mama started around 9 am, making the meatballs and a big pot of sauce. I don't have the kind of time she used to, nor the huge family to feed (10 kids, a husband and usually a few neighbor kids).

Over the years I have developed my own version of Mama's Spaghetti and Meatballs. I don't spend as much time as Mama did, but the dish always comes out delicious. One thing I have done, in the interest of eating less red meat, was to use turkey in place of beef in the meatballs. My mom used a combination of beef and pork (usually 1 lb of ground beef and 1/2 lb of ground pork). These meats have a much higher fat content (and more cholesterol) than the much leaner ground white meat turkey. The only problem with ground turkey is that because it's so lean, that usually means the meatballs will be dry. I've found a few remedies for this problem, however. First of all, I sometimes will mix the lean white meat ground turkey with some ground turkey that has a higher fat content (meaning it contains some dark meat). If I'm making 2 lbs of meatballs, I will use 1-1/2 lb of white meat ground turkey and 1/2 lb of ground turkey (85/15 or less). If you only have the white meat (97/3) ground turkey, you can add about 1-1/2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to the meatballs. Another thing I've done to lighten up the meatballs is to cook them in the oven instead of on the stove, soaking in oil. And lastly, make sure you let the meatballs cook in the sauce for at least an hour so they can absorb the flavor (and the moisture) from the sauce.

Below you will find my turkey meatball recipe. Make sure you season them well as ground turkey can be pretty tasteless.

2 lbs of lean white meat ground turkey (or a combination of 97/3 turkey and 85/15 or 80/20 turkey)
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk (or more if needed)
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated romano or parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced very fine
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients together with your hands. If the meat feels too dry, add a little milk; if it's too wet, add a few more bread crumbs. Cover two cookie sheets with aluminum foil, then spray with some cooking spray. Roll the meat into balls - the size is up to you; I like them about the size of a large golf ball. Place the meatballs on the cookie sheets. It should make 24-30 meatballs. Cook the meatballs for about 10 minutes, then turn and cook 5 minutes more. Drain on paper towels, then add to your favorite marinara sauce and let the meatballs cook in the sauce for about a half hour to an hour. Serve over your favorite pasta - it doesn't always have to be spaghetti!!!