Another one of my “go-to” meals are stuffed meatballs – spicy Italian sausage meatballs, sweet Italian sausage meatballs or chicken meatballs topped with an easy pesto-tomato sauce. Several years ago, I was introduced to this easy-to-make sauce while watching a cooking show on the Food Network and it’s still a staple in many of my dishes today. Last night I didn’t have sausage in the refrigerator however I had ground turkey, fresh herbs, cheese and bread crumbs – voilà!
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- Olive oil
- Extra parsley for garnish
- 1 tub bite size fresh Mozzarella balls
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients, except the oil and Mozzarella balls, in a bowl. To form each ball, take a handful of the mixture and wrap it around a piece of mozzarella. Drizzle olive oil over the meatballs and bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and are evenly browned. Top meatballs with homemade pesto-tomato sauce and garnish with extra parsley.
Pesto-Tomato Sauce
- 1 tub good quality fresh pesto (or homemade pesto)
- 1 can quartered or halves tomatoes
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Add the tomatoes to a saucepan over medium heat and mash with a potato masher. Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer for about 8 – 10 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in a 1/2 cup of pesto. Serve over meatballs with your favorite red wine. Some excellent wine choices would be a Super Tuscan, Sangiovese, Rioja or even a Merlot.
~Cheers! Crystal
Aprons & Stilettos 