Penne with Turkey Meatballs

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (32)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(32)

Cook Time:
30 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
4 to 6 servings

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 30 min
Total:: 40 min

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Ingredients

1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons whole milk
3/4 cup grated Romano
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 cups tomato sauce
1 pound dried penne pasta

Directions

In a large bowl, add bread crumbs, eggs, milk, 1/2 cup Romano, parsley, salt and pepper and mix well. Add turkey and gently combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Shape into golf-size balls.

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium high heat. When almost smoking, add meatballs and without moving or turning the meat, allow it to brown for about 3 minutes. Turn meatballs and brown other side. Continue to cook until all sides are golden brown, about 8 minutes total. Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Lower heat and allow meatballs to simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and keep warm on stove. Be careful not to over handle the meatballs since they are soft and fragile.

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse pasta with water since you want to retain the pasta's natural starches so that the sauce will cling to the penne.

Remove meatballs from sauce and place in serving bowl. Pour some tomato sauce over meatballs, but leave about 2/3 cup of sauce in skillet. Place the cooked penne into the skillet with the remaining sauce and toss well. Pour sauced pasta in a large serving bowl. Serve alongside the meatballs. Sprinkle remaining Romano on top.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Penne with Turkey Meatballs
JILL WALNUT CREEK, CA 10-23-2009
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Love, love, love these meatballs
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I've tried many recipes and finally found THE one. These are great. I use ground sirloin, though, instead of turkey. They're... great!Read more
recipe Penne with Turkey Meatballs
Anonymous 07-22-2008
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Easy and great tasting!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

These are the best meatballs ever! I make double batches and freeze them to use during the week to save time. Giada's... cookbook "Everyday Pasta" has a great version with sundried tomatoes which gives them so much flavor. Yum!Read more
recipe Penne with Turkey Meatballs
ANNMARIE hockessin, DE 05-05-2008
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YUM--from all my picky eaters!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Made this for my family this evening and did not tell them they were turkey meatballs. They raved about how much they loved... them! I added about 1/2 c. italian style bread crumbs and then omitted the parsley, pepper and salt. Cooked meatballs in a cast iron skillet and finished them off in the oven at 400 degrees. They were perfect!Read more
recipe Penne with Turkey Meatballs
Anonymous 01-19-2008
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Killer Meatballs
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

The meatballs were out of this world but the sauce needed some work. I added garlic, wine and oregano. Turned out perfect.... I'm definitely making this again!Read more
recipe Penne with Turkey Meatballs
Rachael Raleigh, NC 01-04-2008
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Healthy meatballs
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is one of my all time favorite recipes. My family and friends request this one frequently!!!
recipe Penne with Turkey Meatballs
Anonymous 09-22-2007
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Always a hit..
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Whenever I make this meal for my family they always rave about how good it is. I like making it since it's easy to prepare,... uses only a few ingredients(I usually have everything except the turkey on hand), and serves about four people comfortably. I've found that you don't really need fresh picked parsley, the parsley flakes found in the spice isle work just fine. Also, I wouldn't really worry about overworking the meatballs, in fact, if you don't get them to the right consistency they will fall apart in the pan.Read more