Turkey Meatballs with Chunky Arrabbiata Sauce

Spring plays cruel tricks on us, my friends. After one Friday of utter bliss, there followed a weekend that has looked brighter and warmer and sunnier as the passing days grow colder and snowier and grayer. Meanwhile, recipes touting spring’s bounty taunt me with their use of verdant asparagus, sweet, smooth, marble-like peas, teasingly bitter baby artichokes and the year’s first strawberries, so small that they’re perfect for popping straight into mouths.

Can it be that this delicate produce has withstood the hail(!) of the past week? I haven’t yet been to the farmer’s market to check it out (lunch trip, maybe?) but I remain skeptical.

So instead, we had stick-to-your-bones-warm-up-your-soul dinners this week. My cousin wanted meatballs, I said turkey, he said no baking — per the advice of Bobby Flay from a recent “Throwdown,” of course — and I said okay. In a moment of sheer daring, too hungry to Google a recipe, I said let’s wing it and come up with our own recipe. After a previous attempt to forego a recipe yielded … interesting results, I was determined to come up with a recipe of my own that actually worked. With Keith’s baked meatballs recipe as a guide, plus the unwavering enthusiasm of my cousin, I forged ahead, adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that and using my inexperienced eye, I created a masterpiece.

Okay, maybe this dinner was no Mona Lisa. But it was the perfect way to combat the chills of a late winter night. The turkey meatballs were lush and light, and the sauce had a fiery kick that played nicely with the sweetness from the tomato chunks. Served on a bed of spinach fettuccine and topped with a heaping pile of Pecorino, they provided almost as much comfort and warmth as a soft fleece blanket.

But while I eat like it’s still winter, I dream only of spring. Peas, one day soon I will toss you with mint, whole wheat penne and Parmesan shavings for a light lunch. Asparagus, you, prosciutto, polenta and goat cheese will come together for dinner one day. You strawberries better watch your backs too — I haven’t decided what your fate will be just yet, but rest assured, it will be delicious.

Turkey Meatballs with Chunky Arrabbiata Sauce

The sauce is based on a Keith’s version of a classic pasta sauce from Barefoot Contessa, but since I bought the wrong type of tomatoes at the store and then added too much crushed red pepper — I bring you chunky Arrabbiata.

For the meatballs:

– 1 pound ground turkey

– 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (we used Italian seasoned, since that’s what we had on hand)

– 1/2 cup grated Pecorino cheese

– 1 egg

– 3 cloves garlic, minced

– 1 small onion, minced

– 1/2 cup milk

– 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

– 2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce

– salt and pepper to taste

1) Gently mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl until they are combined. Roll into 24 meatballs, roughly 1-1/2 inches in diameter.

2) Coat the bottom of a large, straight-sided skillet and heat on high until just smoking. Cook the meatballs in batches, turning after a few minutes to make sure that they’re evenly browned and crisp. (Tongs work great here.) They will cook further in the sauce, so don’t worry if they don’t seem cooked through to the center. Once the meatballs are all browned, set aside.

For the sauce:

– 3 cloves garlic, sliced

– 1 small onion, diced

– 1/2 cup red wine (we used a Merlot, just because that’s what was open)

– 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes

– 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

– salt and pepper to taste

1) Heat olive oil in a large pot and saute the garlic and onion on medium until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the wine and let it reduce until slightly jammy, stirring occasionally to scrape up any bits that have stuck to the pot.

2) Add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper and simmer on medium-low heat.

To assemble:

1) After the sauce has been simmering for 15 minutes, drop the meatballs into the sauce (now would be a good time to start your pasta). Simmer for another 15 minutes, or until your pasta is done.

2) Top the pasta with the sauce and meatballs. Serve with grated Pecorino or Parmesan.

[print recipe in PDF form]