Do you ever crave a robust Italian dish like spaghetti and meatballs, but feel that it’s too heavy a meal for you? Well here is a great way to enjoy it without any regret. This version from Sara Moulton, is made with turkey meatballs and broccoli pesto served with orzo.
I thawed some frozen broccoli pesto that I made with Chicken Saltimbocca several weeks ago. To complete this recipe all I needed was to add some cooking liquid from the orzo to the pesto. The meatballs were easy to assemble by dipping my fingers in water to mold them so they wouldn’t stick to my hands. I limited them to 6 in the pan while frying to ensure they got nicely golden and cooked through. The dish was even better as leftovers!
Turkey Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto & Orzo
Serves 8
- 3/4 cup broccoli pesto
- (recipe at http://www.delish-dish.com/broccoli-pestobroc/)
- 1 medium onion
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 oz. prosciutto
- 1 slice firm white bread
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 lbs. ground turkey
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 8 oz. orzo
- grated Parmesan cheese
- Prepare broccoli pesto. (click here) for recipe.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Finely chop the onion.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Reduce the heat to medium-low; add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until it has softened. Remove the onion and spread it out on a plate to cool.
- Finely chop the prosciutto. Pulse the bread in a blender or food processor to make 1/2 cup bread crumbs.
- Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl; gently stir in the cooled onion, turkey, prosciutto, bread crumbs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and red pepper flakes. Shape a 2 inch ball to test for seasoning correctness.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the large skillet over medium heat. Add your test meatball to the skillet and cook for 10-12 minutes turning frequently until it is almost cooked through. Taste it for seasoning and adjust the remaining mixture as needed. Shape the rest of the mixture into 2″ balls, about 16-20.
- Cook the meatballs in batches, trying not to crowd the pan, turning often. Remove to a platter and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, cook the orzo until al dente, following the package directions. Drain it, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the broccoli pesto to the orzo along with enough of the reserved cooking liquid to make a sauce. Serve the orzo pesto in shallow bowls topped with meatballs. Pass Parmesan cheese to serve.
(click here) for printable recipe