Good Ole' Spaghetti and Meatballs

I saw this recipe being presented the other day on the Neely's show and was immediately intrigued by it mainly because I love them, long time. A couple of things raised an eyebrow for me though. Truth be told internets, I can't be trusted around white bread. So, having a loaf of it in my kitchen to soak in whole milk (?!?!?) is not a good idea. However, I loved the idea of mixing boring ground turkey with yummy turkey sausage so I thought I would make a few small modifications to come up something slightly better for you. I also baked the meatballs as opposed to pan frying them. The result? Moist, delicious and tasting like beef heavy balls. The sister gives it a 10 (hahaha, her words, not mine).

Side note: This IS spicy so if you are a wimp, don't use the red pepper.

Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

Serves 6

Ingredients for meatballs:

1/4-1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1 egg

3/4lb lean ground turkey

1/2lb Italian turkey sausage, casing removed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

3 gloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp red pepper flakes

28oz crushed tomatoes or sauce (I used Pomi)

2 tsp dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

1 lb whole wheat or brown rice spaghetti noodles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook and drain spaghetti, toss with a bit of olive oil and set aside.

For the meatballs, combine all ingredients until well mixed. Using your hands or my favorite, an ice cream scooper, form meatballs and place on a tin foiled covered jelly roll pan (again, this is a pan that has slightly raised sides to prevent juices from spilling in your oven). Bake for 15-20 minutes until no longer pink.

As the meatballs are baking, prepare sauce. Heat olive oil in large saucepan and add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add basil, salt and pepper.

Toss everything together and serve!