Spaghetti and Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients :
For the sauce:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, grated*
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 26-ounce jars spaghetti sauce (my favorite is Prego Traditional)
For the meatballs:
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 package (~1 lb) lean ground turkey (I like Purdue or Jennie-O)**
1 garlic clove, grated
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 16 equal-sized cubes***
cooking spray
spaghetti, regular or whole-wheat
*I grate my garlic with a Microplane grater. I find that it's super fast and releases much more flavor than chopping, and it's easier to clean than my garlic press.
**I've seen Giada make meatballs using a mixture of ground turkey and turkey sausage before - I think around 2/3 ground to 1/3 sausage. I plan to try this sometime. Jennie-O makes spicy or sweet Italian sausage - both of which we really like depending on the recipe.
***I thought it might be easier to cut uniform pieces using low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella string cheese. I compared the melting properties of equal-sized pieces of regular mozzarella to the string cheese. Both melted and solidfied similarly, so I think the string cheese is a good option if you want to make cutting the cheese easier.
Directions :
1. In a large bowl, soak the bread crumbs in the milk.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add 2 cloves of grated garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. If you like your sauce a little spicy (a la Arrabbiata sauce), toss in some crushed red pepper flakes - probably an 1/8 teaspoon is plenty. Add jarred spaghetti sauce. Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water for the spaghetti.
3. Add the ground turkey, 1 clove of grated garlic, parsley, Parmesan, egg, and salt to the bread crumbs. Stir with a fork until mixed.
4. Divide the meatball mixture into fourths, then form 4 meatballs out of each portion (for a total of 16). Make a hole in the center of each meatball and place a cube of mozzarella inside. Reform the meatball so the mozzarella is completely covered with the meat mixture. Place each meatball on a sheet of waxed paper sprayed with cooking spray after cheese has been placed inside, so that all of the meatballs can go in the sauce at the same time.
5. Place meatballs in sauce so they are submerged. Cook for 20 minutes over medium-low, or until meat is cooked completely. I find that I must cover the pot at this point to prevent spaghetti sauce from splattering all over. You may want to vent the lid to allow some moisture to escape so the sauce is a little thicker in the end. When only 8-9 minutes remain, add spaghetti to boiling water and cook according to package directions.
Last Step: Don't forget to share!
Recipe From : http://bakeitafterall.blogspot.com/2009/04/spaghetti-and-mozzarella-stuffed-turkey.html