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Turkey Meatballs with Garden Veggie Marinara

A tasty way to get a ton of veggies in you spaghetti! Kids love spaghetti and meatballs, and you can serve it over spaghetti squash or zoodles to get even more veggies in!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 364kcal
Author Lauren

Ingredients

MEATBALLS:

  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • cup grated zucchini excess water removed
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 2 tablespoons almond meal
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

SAUCE:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup minced onion
  • ½ cup minced carrots
  • 1 cup diced zucchini
  • ½ cup minced yellow bell pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cups chicken or bone broth
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil minced (or 1 teaspoon dried)

Instructions

  • IN A MEDIUM BOWL, COMBINE ALL MEATBALL ingredients together and form balls by the heaping tablespoonful. Recipe should make 16-20 meatballs. Once the meatballs are all formed, place in the refrigerator to chill while the sauce comes together.
  • HEAT 1 TABLESPOON OIL IN A LARGE FRYING PAN or skillet over medium heat, add the meatballs and cook 1-2 minutes per side, until all sides are golden brown. Remove the meatballs from the pan and place on a plate to continue coking later.
  • ADD THE REMAINING TABLESPOON OF OIL TO THE PAN and cook onions, carrots, zucchini and pepper and sauté until tender, around 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté an additional 30 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and reduce the heat to medium-low. and simmer 5 minutes, until sauce is slightly thickened.
  • RETURN THE MEATBALLS TO THE PAN AND simmer on low for an 15 minutes. The sauce should be thick and the meatballs shouldn't have any pink left in the center and should read 160 on an instant read thermometer.
  • SERVE HOT over noodles or veggies and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 5meatballs + ⅔ cup sauce | Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 2089mg | Potassium: 812mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 4000IU | Vitamin C: 54.5mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 3.2mg