Best-Ever Italian Turkey Meatballs

Since I was raised on Italian Cuisine, and love all of the traditional pasta favorites like Bolognese, Carbonara, and Pesto, it probably it not a surprise that a good meatball is at the top of my list. But Italian Turkey Meatballs?

My nana made the world’s best meatballs without ever using a meatball recipe! Their taste and moistness could not be beat, even compared to the best Italian restaurants in Rome and Italy’s food capital, Bologna! In fact, I still will rarely order meatballs anywhere because I always compare them to hers! Or now mine.

My mom and I have been trying to replicate nana’s meatballs for years since her passing, and have come pretty close!

Since my mom’s heart attack 2 years ago, we’re now also shooting for low fat, making our task just a little bit harder. So, we chose to use lean ground turkey which has less fat and calories than ground beef.

And, since we are in America, where we eat spaghetti with our meatballs, I have no qualms about it! In authentic Italian cuisine or Italian restaurants in Italy, you will rarely see the 2 together. If you do, they are catering to tourists!

This Italian Turkey Meatball recipe makes the moistest turkey meatballs ever! These turkey meatballs are healthy, dairy free, and low in fat. And in keeping with the healthy factor, instead of frying, we made baked turkey meatballs which also happens to retain their moistness.

Italian Turkey Meatball Recipe

Serves 6

Ingredients

1/4 cup onion, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey
1/2 cup egg whites
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano, dried
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons parsley, dried
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together until well combined.

2. Using 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out mixture and place on a well sprayed sheet pan. Leave a couple inches between each.

3. Roll each mound of the turkey mixture into a ball, and place back on sheet pan.

4. Bake at 375° for approximately 10 minutes until cooked through.

What to Serve with Italian Turkey Meatballs

As long as you’re not in Italy, pasta is probably the answer, and it’s probably going to be spaghetti and meatballs! Italians in Italy usually serve pasta and meatballs in different courses!

First decide what kind of sauce you’d like. Red tomato based sauces like Bolognese and Marinara are very popular with any kind of meatballs, and that goes for Italian Turkey Meatballs as well.

Two of my personal favorite pastas with these sauces are the somewhat thicker than spaghetti, bucatini, and the flatter, wider pappardelle. Although, if you are abiding by Italian rules, tagliatelle is what goes with Bolognese. So many rules, right?

Good thing I’m in California where anything goes! And my rule, is just that it needs to be delicious! For a delicious Authentic Italian Marinara Sauce recipe that’s quick and easy, click here.