Spaghetti con Polpette | Good Old Fashioned Spaghetti and Meatballs

Growing up, we always had Spaghetti and meatballs; it was a dinner staple. As I grew older and began to cook for myself, I drifted away from our family’s traditional meat blend of beef, veal, and pork and started using turkey. I also add a few tablespoons of homemade pesto sauce to the turkey mixture, which I always have on hand in the freezer to give it an extra garlicky kick. And last but not least, I sneak in some healthy organic greens, which my family would typically refuse to eat. Then I turn on some Italian music, open a bottle of Le Senate Cacinello wine from Marche and pretend I am in Italy for dinner, no luggage required.

To make this vegan friendly, substitute the turkey with Ground Beyond Meat. Use a vegan egg alternative. Substitute Parmesan cheese with Violife Plant-Based Parmesan Cheese.

Receipt Date: September 15, 2020

Difficulty: Easy

Measurements: Imperial (US)

See ingredients, directions and pairings.

Ingredients

1 Recipe Homemade Tomato Sauce

1 pound Ground Organic Turkey Meat

1 cup Homemade Italian Breadcrumbs, see recipe

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1 Egg, lightly beaten

4 tablespoons Homemade Pesto Sauce, see recipe

1 cup Organic Seasonal Greens

3 tablespoons EVOO

Pinch of Sea Salt, to taste

Pinch of Red Chili Pepper Flakes

1 pound Spaghetti

Directions

In a large bowl, mix the turkey, breadcrumbs, pesto sauce, Parmesan cheese, egg, sea salt, and the red chili pepper flakes. Cover with plastic wrap and let set in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of sea salt and the Spaghetti, cook as directed until al dente. To make the meatballs uniform, use a medium-sized ice cream scooper. Roll into balls in between your hands and then transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Heat the EVOO in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the hot oil and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Simmer the tomato sauce and add the meatballs one by one as they are browned evenly all over. Add the baby greens. Drain the pasta when al dente and add directly to the tomato sauce and meatball pan. Toss gently. Serve immediately with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese on top. If you happen to have leftovers, place them in a baking dish, top with shredded mozzarella cheese, and bake until bubbly brown on top!