Greek Paleo Turkey Meatballs and Tomato Beet Spaghetti
Try this Greek Paleo Turkey Meatball and Tomato Beet Spaghetti recipe
Try this Greek Paleo Turkey Meatball and Tomato Beet Spaghetti recipe
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- for the sauce:
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
- for the meatballs and pasta
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 pound ground turkey at least 93% lean
- 1/4 up finely chopped fresh parsley + more to garnish
- 4 beets, peeled blade c noodles trimmed
- 1/2 up diced red onion
- 1/4 up capers
- 1/3 cup pitted and halved kalamata olives
- Carbohydrate 2.08616075 g
- Cholesterol 90.396260125 mg
- Fat 8.9034424455 g
- Fiber 0.258612494277954 g
- Protein 27.59769848725 g
- Saturated Fat 4.11625437875 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -6 (137g)
- Sodium 328.04346475 mg
- Sugar 1.82754825572205 g
- Trans Fat 0.79769053475 g
- Calories 205 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray two large baking sheets with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the shallots, garlic, turkey, oregano, parsley, feta, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix with your fingers thoroughly. Grab a small handful of mixture and mold it in your hands into a golfball-sized meatball. Add to one of the prepared baking sheets. Continue until all of the mixture is used, makes about 10-12. Set aside.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Once oil heats, add in the garlic and onion. Let cook for 3-5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add in the crushed tomatoes, capers, olives and season with oregano and pepper. Let cook at a medium simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens.
- Once you begin to simmer the sauce, place the meatballs in the oven for 15 minutes or until no longer pink on the inside. Also, spread the beet noodles out on the second prepared baking tray and roast for 10 minutes or until to your al dente preference.
- Divide the beet noodles into bowls and top with pasta sauce and 2-3 meatballs.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Traditional Italian spaghetti relies on heavy wheat pasta and pork-heavy meatballs, but this variation swaps those elements for lean ground turkey and spiralized root vegetables. Roasting root vegetable noodles instead of boiling them prevents them from becoming waterlogged. Spread the beet strands evenly across a large baking sheet. Roast them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for precisely ten minutes to achieve an al dente texture without excess moisture.
Assessing doneness in poultry meatballs without an instant-read thermometer requires attention to visual cues. Ground turkey lacks the high fat content of beef, meaning it dries out rapidly if overcooked. Bake the golfball-sized portions for fifteen minutes. Cut into one meatball to verify the interior shows no pink color and the juices run completely clear. If you lack a spiralizer for the beet noodles, a standard vegetable peeler creates broad ribbons that roast in the exact same timeframe.
Simmering the crushed tomato sauce concurrently on the stovetop over medium heat builds necessary depth. Capers and kalamata olives introduce distinct salinity, allowing you to minimize added salt. Stir the sauce regularly during its fifteen-minute reduction window to prevent scorching at the bottom of the skillet.
