Turkey Swedish Meatballs

I am a sucker for Béchamel cream sauce and love Swedish meatballs or a good stroganoff. Turkey is a great meat for a meatballs - it holds together better than ground chicken and has more flavor, while helping reduce saturated fat into the diet. But get a good brand that is not too infused with water. Part of a good balanced diet, I am guessing.

Dill and crushed red pepper flakes make great flavor counter note punctuations for the smooth rich white sauce backdrop.

Meatball mix:

1/2 sweet yellow onion, grated (about 1/2-3/4 cup)

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup Panko crumbs

1 Tbsp favorite hot sauce

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 tsp herbs de Provence, or Italian herbs

1 clove garlic, minced through a press

palmful fresh parsley leaves, finely minced

1 lb ground turkey

Bechamel sauce:

1/4 cup flour

2 Tbsp butter plus 2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cups milk

1 tsp dried dill weed

1 can mushroom pieces

8 oz rigatoni pasta

Preheat oven to 400F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Season water generously with salt.

Mix the meatball ingredients together with clean hands, gently in a large bowl. Do not over-mix, as this can lead to dense, tough meatballs. Form into about two dozen meatballs, about 1-inch in diameter. Place meatballs on an oiled, rimmed roasting pan.

Roast meatballs until browned well, about 20 minutes. If desired, flip meatballs halfway through.

Meanwhile prepare Béchamel sauce. Sauté the flour in the butter-oil mixture until fragrant, about 3 minutes, whisking almost continuously. Add the milk and undrained mushrooms, and bring to a gentle boil, stirring often. The sauce should thicken as it comes to a boil. Add the dill and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta. Add the meatballs to the sauce and gently stir to mix and heat through. Adjust the sauce thickness with the pasta water if necessary, so that you have a nice glossy sauce for the meatballs.

Plate the pasta among 4-6 bowls. Distribute the meatballs and sauce among the bowls. Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes and parsley.

Serves 4-6.

Comments

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