Turkey Meatballs Florentine with Ziti

Pasta and meatballs is comfort food any way you prepare it. Here I match turkey meatballs with ziti and a Florentine tomato sauce. Garnish with Parmesan and you have a masterpiece most everyone will enjoy.

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp herbed de Provence (or Italian herbs)

1 24 oz can whole tomatoes in purée

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 tsp sugar

crushed red pepper to taste

Meatballs:

1 lb ground turkey (or lamb, beef or pork)

1/4 cup wheat germ or Panko bread crumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp dried dill weed

1/4 tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped

12 oz favorite pasta (I used ziti)

shredded parmesan cheese for garnish

In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onions in a dash of olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and herbs and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes individually by hand, crushing them as you add them to the pot. Add the remaining liquid from the can along with the wine. Add the sugar and crushed red pepper. Stir and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered while you prepare the meatballs.

Preheat an oven to 375F. Combine the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix well, but do not mix more than necessary to distribute all ingredients evenly - over-mixing can cause a tighter, harder meatball. Form meatballs into mini balls, about 3/4-inch or so, and distribute evenly about an oiled rimmed baking sheet,. You should have somewhere around two dozen or so. Don’t fret about number or size too much.

Place meatballs in oven and bake about 10 minutes to brown first side. Flip each meatball and return meatballs to oven to bake another 10 minutes. Alternatively you could brown the meatballs in a large skillet in a dash of olive oil if you prefer.

Add the meatballs along with the spinach to the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer while you cook the pasta.

Heat a medium pot of salted water to the boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta until just al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.

Turn the pasta into the simmering sauce. Add cooking water only as necessary to form a glazed sauce. Serve in bowls garnished with parmesan cheese.

Serves 4-6.

Cook’s Note: It is totally appropriate to use your favorite frozen meatballs as a time saver for this prep. Just add them frozen to the sauce and simmer.

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