Turkey Pesto Meatballs and Orecchiette

Foods LoVeRApr 3, 2023

If you use a broth base for the broth, such as Better Than Soup, you can replace the 2 cups of broth with 2 additional cups of the pasta cooking water and pour the broth into it.

Olive Oil
1 pound (455 grams) ground turkey
1/2 cup panko, or another plain, dry breadcrumbs
1 cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1 tbsp water
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
1 pound (455 g) zucchini or summer squash, sliced into 1/4″ half-moons
1 pound (455 grams) dried orecchiette
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (see Note)

Preheat Your Oven: up to 450°F. Coat a large sheet pan with oil, or line it with nonstick foil for easy cleanup.

Prepare Meatballs: Whisk turkey, panko, 1/4 cup pesto, half the minced garlic, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, several grains of black pepper, and egg in a large bowl with a fork until combined. So that there is no mixing. Joint. Lightly coat your palms with olive oil and use a tablespoon or 1.5-tablespoon scoop to measure out meatballs, roll them briefly in palms to smooth, and place them on prepared sheet pan .

Prepare Zucchini: Toss zucchini in a large bowl with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and lots of black pepper. Scatter zucchini around meatballs on tray.

Roast Meatballs and Zucchini: Transfer tray to oven and roast until meatballs are cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. For better color on top, transfer meatballs and vegetables to your oven’s broiler for 3 to 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, make orecchiette: In a large pot of well-salted water, cook your pasta just shy of 1 minute, so that there is still a bit of flounder left in it. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water [and up to 3 cups, if using the bouillon option, see Note up top],

Make and assemble the brothy pesto: Heat an empty pasta pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 garlic cloves. Cook garlic until golden on edges, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of broth and bring it to a boil. Add remaining 1/2 cup pesto, stirring until heated through. Transfer meatballs and zucchini to brothy pesto in pot, and add drained pasta. Toss everything together to coat evenly, for 1 to 2 minutes.

Distribute meatballs, zucchini, and orecchiette in wide serving bowls, ladle over any pesto broth left in pot. Finish each bowl with an additional tablespoon of remaining pesto, more salt and pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese. Eat right away