A simple recipe for gluten-free, oven-baked turkey meatballs, featuring fresh herbs and ricotta cheese, plus a recipe for a quick marinara dipping sauce.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil minced
- 1 pound 85/15 ground turkey
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon whole-milk Ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large can 28 ounces fire-roasted, crushed tomatoes
- 1 ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
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Preheat the oven to 400° and have ready a rimmed sheet pan lined with nonstick aluminum foil.
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For the meatballs, add olive oil to a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and saute 2-3 minutes, just until softened. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and stir in basil. Set aside to cool.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, Ricotta, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Add in the cooled veggies, and gently mix until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.
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Using oiled hands, scoop out about two tablespoons of the mixture, roll into a ball, placing each meatball 1” apart on the prepared pan. Bake for 25-27 minutes, or until cooked through.
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Add olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute 2-3 minutes, add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
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Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Allow to rapidly simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered, stirring often.
To serve as an hors d’œuvre, transfer the meatballs to a platter, place toothpicks in each ball and have a generous bowl of marinara on the side for dipping. You could place meatballs in a chafing dish, or crockpot on the warm setting, cover with sauce and stir.
To serve as an entree, serve over cooked pasta, creamy Fail-Proof Polenta or Spaghetti Squash with Basil and Parmesan, and enjoy.