Turkey meatballs in tomato sauce

Turkey meatballs in tomato sauce

Everyone’s talking turkey at the moment with Christmas just around the corner but we love it all year round. It’s a low-fat, high-protein meat which makes it a really good healthy choice. We’re particularly into turkey breast mince (not to be confused with turkey thigh mince which is cheaper, but fattier) and use it as a lower-fat alternative to minced beef in some of our favourite dishes – such as these moreish meatballs…

Serves 4 

For the sauce: 

• 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 aubergine or large courgette, diced
• 2 tins chopped tomatoes
• 100ml concentrated vegetable stock
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the meatballs: 

• 500g turkey breast mince
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp mixed, dried herbs
• 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method: 

1. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick pan over a low heat and sweat the onion with the lid on for around 10 mins until soft and translucent.
2. Add the garlic, carrots, red pepper and the aubergine or courgette, and saute for 3-4 minutes.
3. Pour in the tomatoes and stock, bring to the boil then turn down to a gentle, bubbling simmer.
4. When the tomato sauce has been cooking for around 25 minutes, make the meatballs. In a bowl, mix together the turkey mince, egg yolk, onion and herbs and season well. Shape the mixture into 12 evenly-sized balls with your hands.
5. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a moderate-high heat until the pan and oil are nice and hot. Add the meatballs and fry for around 10 minutes, turning constantly until they’re browned all over.
6. Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce, place the lid on top and continue to cook for 5 minutes until the meatballs are cooked all the way through.
7. Serve the meatballs with the sauce spooned over. This is great served with bulgur wheat or brown rice and extra veggies such as steamed spinach and broccoli.

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