Zucchini "Spaghetti" with Meatballs
Spaghetti and meatballs don’t have to be a guilty pleasure when the “pasta” is made of zucchini cut into curly strands using a spiralizer and the meatballs are made with ground turkey instead of beef and pork. Use a light hand when forming the meatballs so that they remain tender.
Ingredients
For the tomato sauce:
- 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
- 1 can (28 oz./875 g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 Tbs. sherry vinegar
- 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb. (500 g) ground turkey, preferably dark meat
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbs. minced fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 cups (3 oz./90 g) fresh bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil- 2 large zucchini, trimmed and run through the coarse shredder blade of a spiralizer
- Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Directions
To make the sauce, in a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the red pepper flakes and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) water, the tomatoes, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the flavors have deepened and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
While the sauce simmers, make the meatballs: In a bowl, combine the turkey with the garlic, thyme, bread crumbs, eggs, salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix gently until combined. Form the mixture into about 24 meatballs, using about 2 Tbs. of the mixture each.
In a fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the 2 Tbs. olive oil. Working in batches, sear the meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned all over, about 1 minute per side. Transfer the meatballs to the pan with the tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the zucchini to the pan and and cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes more.
To serve, divide among 4 individual bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen