Penne with Turkey Meatballs
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 620
- Total Fat
- 21
- Saturated Fat
- 7
- Carbohydrates
- 73
- Dietary Fiber
- 6
- Sugar
- 10
- Protein
- 37
- Cholesterol
- 127
- Sodium
- 1329
- Total: 40 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 30 min
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.