These turkey pesto meatballs make a delicious, easy dinner at any time of year. If you have a favorite brand of store-bought basil pesto, by all means, use it to make your life easier. If you prefer a homemade version, I included a recipe in my summer pasta with chicken and pesto. Rather than pasta, another option would be to make meatball sandwiches: get some crusty rolls and spread them with some garlic butter, top with mozzarella, then toast! It’ll make the perfect base to add your meatballs to. For leftovers, double the batch, bake them all, then freeze a batch in a gallon-sized freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20-25 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
16-20 oz pkg ground turkey
1/3 c each basil pesto
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 c seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 c grated parmesan
salt & pepper, to taste
12 oz of the pasta of your choice
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 F, then line a baking sheet with either non-stick foil or foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, mix together the ground turkey, basil pesto, beaten egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt, and pepper using a fork, then form into meatballs using either a mini ice cream scoop or a tablespoon. You should end up with approximately 20-24 meatballs.
Place the meatballs in the oven then bake for 20 minutes. While the meatballs are baking fill a pot with water and bring to a boil, then cook your pasta according to package directions. Once your pasta has reached your desired level of doneness, drain, return to the pot, then if you have any leftover pesto, mix in a few tablespoons. When everything is ready divide your pasta among 4 dishes, then top with your turkey pesto meatballs. Feel free to top everything off with any leftover pesto.