• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Well Nourished HomepageWell Nourished

Simple recipes, whole foods, inspired health

  • Family Members
    • Meal Plans
      • G’s Autumn Meal Plan
      • G’s Spring Meal Plan
      • My Weekly Planner
      • Meal Prep Plans
      • Event Plans
      • Wellness Plans
    • Recipe Filter
    • Start Here
      • Getting Kids On-board
      • Planning for Picky Eaters
      • New to Meal Planning
      • Meal Planning Tips & Tricks
    • NOURISHING RESOURCES
    • Members Offers
    • What’s New This Week
    • Events
    • Video Vault
    • About
    • FAQ
  • Start Here
    • How to be Well Nourished
    • About
    • Testimonials
    • Join the Family
    • Where to Shop and what to Buy
    • Help
  • Recipes
    • Latest Recipes
    • My Favourites
    • After School Snacks
    • Breakfast
    • Dips, Sauces, Dressings
    • Drinks & Smoothies
    • Healthy Lunchbox
    • Holidays & Entertaining
    • Meals
      • 30 Minute Meals
      • Budget Friendly
      • Chicken & Turkey
      • Fish & Seafood
      • Freezable Meals
      • Make-ahead Meals
      • Meat
      • Pasta and Noodles
      • Pork
      • Slow Cooked
      • Vegetarian
    • Members only
    • Savoury Snacks
    • Sides & Salads
      • Salads
      • Side Dishes
    • Soups
    • Sourdough Baking
    • Staples
    • Sweet Stuff
      • Baked Sweets
      • Desserts
      • Ice-blocks
      • No-bake Sweets
  • Living Well
    • Budgeting & Planning
    • Carbs, Protein, Fats
      • Carbohydrates
      • Fats
      • Protein
    • Digestion & Intolerance
    • Edible Garden
    • Exercise & Movement
    • Foods to Avoid
    • Food as Medicine
    • Health Challenges
    • Healthy Food Choices
    • Healthy Habits
    • Holidays
    • Home
    • Immune Health
    • Mind
    • Maternal health
    • Organic Eating
    • Our Environment
    • Pets
    • Stress & Mood Disorders
    • Sugar
  • Healthy Kids
    • Healthy Baby
    • Healthy Toddler
    • Healthy Child
    • Immune support for kids
    • Digestion & Food Allergies
    • Healthy Lunchboxes
  • Resources
    • Whole foods pantry list
    • Ingredients Glossary
    • Products and Services I Value
    • Become an Affiliate
    • Find whole food
      • ACT
      • NSW
      • NT
      • SA
      • QLD
      • TAS
      • VIC
      • WA
  • Shop
  • Login
    • Well Nourished Family
    • Well Nourished Kids
    • The Kitchen Edit
  • My account

Turkey and Sage Spaghetti Meatballs

June 1, 2016 | Budget Friendly, Chicken, Freezable Meals, Make-ahead Meals, Pasta and Noodles

Turkey bacon and sage meatballs - These Turkey and Sage Spaghetti Meatballs are a nutritionally balanced, easy to make delicious meal for the whole family. Gluten and dairy free.

So here we have my twist on Jamie Olivers’s second recipe ‘to save your life’ – a Classic Tomato Spaghetti. It’s tough to mess with a classic but the Naturopath in me is screaming ‘add protein and vegetables’ to make this simple staple, nutritionally complete!

So that’s exactly what I did and not only is this one nourishing meal, it’s also absolutely delicious and really very quick and simple to make. It can also be made ahead and reheated to serve.

Health benefits

Turkey is a vitamin and mineral rich source of protein. It is a rich source of tryptophan which is a precursor of the neurotransmitter serotonin, our feel-good hormone. It’s also a great source of vitamin B12, which makes it a great option for those who suffer from anxiety and mood disorders. I like to cook with it occasionally to add a little nutritional variety to my families diet. The assortment of vegetables included in the meatballs and sauce contributes lots of plant-based fibre and nutrition.

You can serve this dish the traditional way, with whole wheat or gluten-free spaghetti. Or for even more nutritional bang for your buck, serve it with zoodles (courgettes/zucchini spiralized) or quinoa. Whatever your preference, these are SO delicious!

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit many specific dietary requirements.

PS- this dish is photographed in the stunning Solidteknics safe, non-stick, everlasting cookware. More about it HERE.

Turkey and Sage Spaghetti Meatballs

Prep 30 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 1 hour
Serves: 6
Turkey bacon and sage meatballs - These Turkey and Sage Spaghetti Meatballs are a nutritionally balanced, easy to make delicious meal for the whole family. Gluten and dairy free.
ADD TO FAVORITESADDED TO FAVORITES
4.75 from 8 votes
These Turkey and Sage Spaghetti Meatballs are just so delicious and sure to become a family favourite. They are gluten and grain-free and contain lots of plant based goodness. Left-overs are even better the next day too

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce

  • 1 bunch/s fresh basil leaves
  • 1 onion/s -finely diced
  • 2 clove/s garlic -finely sliced
  • 1 kg roma tomatoe/s (or 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes)
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil -extra virgin

Turkey and Sage Meatballs

  • 1 rasher/s bacon - short cut, finely diced
  • 1 red onion/s -finely diced
  • 1 clove/s garlic -crushed
  • 30 g baby spinach -finely chopped (1 cup approx.)
  • 1 carrot/s (large) grated
  • 500 g turkey mince
  • 50 g almond meal (½ cup)
  • 1 free-range or organic egg/s
  • 2 tbsp fresh sage leaves (or 1 tablespoon dried sage)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper -to taste
  • 300 g spaghetti - I love quinoa and rice spaghetti
Prevent your screen from going dark

Method

Start with the tomato sauce:

  • Pick the basil leaves from the stalks, finely chop the stalks and set aside the basil leaves which you can also roughly chop or tear.
  • Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic. I generally chop this in the Thermomix garlic 5 seconds, speed 5 then add the onion, 10 seconds speed 5. I then add this to a small pot (to make the sauce) and without washing the Thermomix, use the bowl to make the meatballs. 
  • Put a saucepan on a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the onion and garlic. Cook for around 7 minutes, or until soft and lightly golden.
  • If using fresh, cut the tomatoes in half, then roughly chop them or carefully open the tins of tomatoes.
  • Stir in the basil stalks for a few minutes, then add the fresh or tinned tomatoes and the vinegar.
  • Season with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper, then continue to simmer for around 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Once cooked, remove from the heat and stir in the basil leaves (reserving a few to garnish).
  • Meanwhile…

Prepare the meatballs:

  • Prepare (chop or grate) your bacon, onion, garlic, spinach and carrot (by hand or in a food processor). Thermomix garlic first 5 seconds speed 5, then the onion, bacon, carrot and spinach, 20 seconds speed 4-5 (until chopped finely).
  • Place in a large mixing bowl with the turkey mince, almond meal, egg, sage and seasoning. Thermomix add the mince, almond meal, egg, sage and seasoning and mix 30 seconds, on reverse speed 3 (you may need to scrape the sides to make sure the ingredients are evenly combined).
  • Wash your hands well and squeeze the mixture to combine all of the meatball ingredients.
  • Roll it into approx. golf ball sized meatballs and set aside until ready to cook.
  • To cook, place a little olive oil in a large non-stick or cast iron pan and heat over a medium-high heat. Cook the meatballs for about 5 minutes or until brown, turning to cook on both sides.
  • Once the meatballs are almost cooked, pour over the tomato sauce and let simmer for 5 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked firm.

Serve

  • With the reserved basil leaves and finely grated Parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast for dairy-free).
  • With al dente whole wheat or gluten-free pasta, zoodles or quinoa.
  • I also serve with a simple green salad.

Make-ahead

  • Re-heat in a pot over a low heat until just hot.

Store

  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • Can also be frozen (cooked meatballs in sauce). Or, you can freeze the meatballs prior to cooking.

Variations

Nut-free

Replace the almond meal with breadcrumbs.

Egg-free

Simply omit the egg.

Onion-free

Replace the onion with finely diced fennel in the sauce and omit in the meatballs. 

Garlic-free

Replace the garlic with a teaspoon of ground cumin and a pinch of cayenne in the sauce and the meatballs. 
 
Check out all 10 twists on Jamie's Classic Tomato Spaghetti HERE.
 
 

Enjoy and I'd love to hear how you liked it. Post a comment below!

 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Share the goodness!

Category: Budget Friendly, Chicken, Freezable Meals, Make-ahead Meals, Pasta and Noodles Tags: coconutfree, cornfree, dairyfree, dinner, eggfree, garlicfree, glutenfree, grainfree, legumefree, lowfructose, lowsugar, lunch, meatballs, nutfree, onionfree, pasta, seafoodfree, sesamefree, soyfree, thermomix, turkey, wheatfree, yeastfree

Reader Interactions

25 Comments

Post a comment
  1. Katie says

    Yum Georgia! Is there any preference to choosing turkey mince over chicken?

    June 2, 2016
    Reply
    • Georgia Harding says

      Hi Katie, yes you can easily substitute chicken mince if you’d prefer. G x

      June 4, 2016
      Reply
  2. Sarah says

    Hi Georgia! I’m making a big batch of these today and can’t wait. Just wondering how you would go about freezing them? Would you do it in the sauce or the meatballs on their own (raw or cooked)? Thanks!

    June 26, 2016
    Reply
  3. Georgia Harding says

    Hi Sarah, I would freeze the sauce and raw meatballs separately (but that could be the control freak in me)!! You can also cook and freeze it as you would a casserole , I just think the meatballs will hold up better if kept raw. Enjoy G x

    June 26, 2016
    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Thank you so much. And thank you for the recipe – we had them tonight and they were amazing!

      June 27, 2016
      Reply
  4. Jane says

    High fives all round with this one. The fussy eater loved eating it, so mums happy. And the 7-year old loved helping mum roll the meatballs… so everyones winner. Thanks!

    March 30, 2017
    Reply
    • Georgia Harding says

      That’s great Jane, thrilled you all enjoyed it, it’s actually on the menu at our place tonight! G x

      March 30, 2017
      Reply
  5. Natasha says

    5 stars
    These meatballs are AMAZING and a regular on our meal plan. So delicious served over quinoa or sweet potato mash too. My husband declares it as one of his favourite meals and he’s difficult to please so a big compliment! I freeze leftovers (with sauce) and defrost and reheat for a second meal and it’s just as good the second time. Thanks Georgia!

    November 19, 2017
    Reply
    • Georgia Harding says

      Glad you all love them Natasha – especially hubby lol! Thanks for taking the time to comment and review them Gx

      November 20, 2017
      Reply
    • Cristina says

      Hi Georgia! Thanks for this recipe, I’ve been trying different ones with turkey mince with no luck. Do you have any preference over the mince? I’ve found there are two types, one 100% turkey (not a winner among my fussy eaters) and another one with 1-5% rosemary extract that seem to taste ‘less bad’ according to my little judges.. Will definitely give your recipe a go pretty soon 🙂 thank you!

      August 28, 2019
      Reply
      • Georgia Harding says

        Natasha you could sub with pork or chicken mince in this recipe if you’re kids don’t like Turkey. Also the other flavours in this dish really mask the ‘meaty’ taste so maybe this would be a winner. G x

        September 2, 2019
        Reply
  6. Rachael says

    5 stars
    We had these tonight. I didn’t have sage but I put fresh basil in the meatballs and dried oregano, it was a hit for my fussy 12 & 9 yo plus the hubby. Very delicious, will be having again. Thank you!

    June 2, 2018
    Reply
    • Georgia Harding says

      Beautiful, so pleased you and your family loved them Rachael. Thanks for your feedback and the 5 star rating G x

      June 7, 2018
      Reply
  7. Elaine says

    5 stars
    Really great meatballs! Thanks for the recipe. My whole family loved it. Served with pasta for the kids and we had it with brown rice. Love that there’s hidden veg in the meatballs!

    June 29, 2019
    Reply
    • Georgia Harding says

      Thanks Elaine, so glad you all enjoyed it and thanks for the 5? rating too G x

      July 2, 2019
      Reply
  8. Kristy Miles says

    5 stars
    Goodness these were delicious – and took less time to make than I thought they might. Yum!

    February 16, 2020
    Reply
    • Georgia Harding says

      So glad you enjoyed them Kristy and cheers for the 5?s

      February 17, 2020
      Reply
  9. Alexandra Cleary says

    Hi Georgia! I’m going to make these this week, would they work with beef mince? Thank you!

    July 20, 2020
    Reply
    • Georgia Harding says

      Yes, definitely G x

      July 22, 2020
      Reply
  10. Meegan says

    What can I use instead of almond meal??

    August 16, 2020
    Reply
    • Georgia Harding says

      Breadcrumbs or rice crumbs if you are GF Meegan will work well Gx

      August 16, 2020
      Reply
  11. Meegan Wilson says

    Thank you. Can’t wait to try them this weekend ?

    August 20, 2020
    Reply
  12. Kim Lambert says

    5 stars
    The meatballs are so yummy! The flavour of the mince would be really nice in a home made sausage roll mmmmmm

    July 15, 2021
    Reply
    • Georgia Harding says

      So glad you thought so Kim, yes agree it would be great for sausage rolls too G x

      July 15, 2021
      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

We respect your privacy. Your details are only used to reply to your comment or question. Full details in our Privacy Policy

Primary Sidebar

Join FB Group

Social Media

Join over 140,000 followers

Nourish Your Inbox

Nourish Your Inbox!

Christmas Meal Planning Ebook

Sign up today for your FREE: • Chocolate Ebook • Subscribers Only Special Offers • Practical Health & Nutrition Tips • New Whole Food Recipes

Raising WN Kids – Public

Raising Well Nourished Kids

Join the waitlist for our 10 week online program to help you raise healthy, well nourished kids!

Join

WN App

Download the free
Well Nourished App

Register to receive access to over 300 recipes on the go. New recipes added regularly. We’re excited to help you nourish yourself with ease.

Join the Family

Join the Family

Join The Family

It’s a membership for busy parents who want help and motivation to create healthy and delicious family meals, week after week.

Find Out More

Hundred of Recipes

Hundreds of Recipes

Hundreds of delicious, nourishing and easy to make recipes.

Search

Dietary Preference

Have a Dietary Preference or Food Intolerance?

We’ve got you covered. All of our recipes feature variations including:

  • • Vegetarian
  • • Dairy Free
  • • Nut Free
  • • Gluten Free
  • • And more

There’s no restrictions to nourishment here, so happy exploring and cooking!

RECIPES

Meal Planning – Members

Featured Lunchbox Ebook – Public

From the Shop

See More

Footer

Logos

Well Nourished HomepageWell Nourished

As featured on

Footer-social

Connect with us

  • About
  • Sitemap
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Website Terms of Use
  • Affiliates

© Well Nourished 2022

A Firstnature site

adroll_adv_id = "RZZOSLKK5RDXDEWMIK6HEB"; adroll_pix_id = "6JAHLLZCXZGOVJPMEN5KJY"; adroll_version = "2.0"; adroll_current_page = "other"; adroll_currency = "AUD"; adroll_language = "en_US";
Sign up today for your FREE:
• Chocolate Ebook
• Subscribers Only Special Offers
• Practical Health & Nutrition Tips
• New Whole Food Recipes