Turkey Sage Spaghetti Meatballs

This Turkey Sage Spaghetti with Meatballs is my twist on Jamie Oliver’s  famous “recipe to save your life”. Jamie nominated his Classic Tomato Spaghetti for me (and a small group of cooks) to reinvent. Now, it’s hard to mess with a classic, but the naturopath in me couldn’t resist adding a boost of protein and vegetables to turn this simple staple into a more balanced, nutritionally complete meal.

So that’s exactly what I did and not only is this Turkey Sage Spaghetti Meatballs a very 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!

What you need to make this Spaghetti Meatball recipe

You’ll need turkey mince, fresh sage, almond meal, an egg, and a few staple veggies like onion, garlic, and spinach for the meatballs. The tomato sauce uses roma tomatoes (or canned), fresh basil, onion, garlic, and olive oil for a delicious, authentic Italian touch.

How to make Turkey Sage Spaghetti Meatballs

Start by cooking the tomato sauce with diced onion, cloves garlic, and tomatoes, allowing it to simmer to bring out the flavours. While the sauce is simmering, mix the meatball ingredients in a large bowl, roll them into golf ball-sized portions, and cook them in a hot pan. Once browned, simmer the meatballs in the sauce until cooked through.

Serving suggestions and how to store

Serve these meatballs with your favourite pasta, gluten-free spaghetti, or zoodles, topped with fresh basil (or parsley) and grated Parmesan or nutritional yeast. They also pair well with a simple green salad. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container or frozen for easy meals later on.

Vary turkey sage spaghetti meatballs to suit your needs

For nut-free meatballs, swap almond meal with breadcrumbs. If you need an egg-free version, just leave out the egg. You can also replace onion with fennel or omit garlic, using cumin and cayenne for extra flavour. Check out the variations below the main recipe for all of my tips on how to adapt it to your specific dietary needs.

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

For more delicious, easy to make healthy meals, click HERE.

Turkey Sage Spaghetti Meatballs

Prep 30 minutes minutes

Cook 35 minutes minutes

Total 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Serves: 6

Turkey sage spaghetti meatballs are a wholesome twist on a classic family favourite. With tender turkey mince, fresh sage, and a rich homemade tomato sauce, these meatballs are delicious served over spaghetti or zoodles for a gluten-free option. This is a go-to recipe when you're looking for something comforting and nutritious.

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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 extra virgin 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 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

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 20 minutes (for canned tomatoes) or 30 minutes for fresh, 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

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