Italian-Style Turkey Meatballs
By Andrew JanjigianPublished on July 26, 2016
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 cup chicken broth ½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup), plus extra for serving1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin Salt and pepper 4 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced1 ½ pounds 85 or 93 percent lean ground turkey 1 large egg, lightly beaten4 garlic cloves, minced1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes ½ teaspoon dried oregano ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons tomato paste ¼ cup chopped fresh basil sugar
Before You Begin
Serve with spaghetti.
Instructions
- Microwave broth and mushrooms in covered bowl until steaming, about 1 minute. Let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain mushrooms in fine-mesh strainer and reserve liquid.
- Pulse bread in food processor until finely ground, 10 to 15 pulses; transfer bread crumbs to large bowl (do not wash processor bowl). Add Parmesan, parsley, gelatin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to bowl with bread crumbs and mix until thoroughly combined. Pulse mushrooms and half of anchovies in food processor until chopped fine, 10 to 15 pulses. Add mushroom mixture, turkey, egg, and half of garlic to bowl with bread-crumb mixture and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. Divide mixture into 16 portions (about 1/4 cup each). Using your hands, roll each portion into ball; transfer meatballs to plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Pulse tomatoes and their juice in food processor to coarse puree, 10 to 15 pulses. Combine oregano, pepper flakes, remaining anchovies, remaining garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in small bowl; set aside.
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add meatballs and cook until well browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer meatballs to paper towel–lined plate, leaving fat in skillet.
- Add reserved anchovy mixture to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to high; stir in tomato paste, reserved mushroom liquid, and pureed tomatoes; and bring to simmer. Return meatballs to skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until meatballs register 160 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes, turning meatballs once. Transfer meatballs to platter, increase heat to high, and simmer sauce until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in basil and season with sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over meatballs and serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
1 cup chicken broth
½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup), plus extra for serving
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
Salt and pepper
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
1 ½ pounds 85 or 93 percent lean ground turkey
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
½ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 cup chicken broth
½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup), plus extra for serving
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
Salt and pepper
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
1 ½ pounds 85 or 93 percent lean ground turkey
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
½ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 cup chicken broth
½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup), plus extra for serving
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
Salt and pepper
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
1 ½ pounds 85 or 93 percent lean ground turkey
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
½ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Our turkey meatballs rival those made from beef or pork, thanks to a few test kitchen tricks. We start with 93 or 85 percent lean turkey; the 99 percent lean type didn’t have enough fat to create a palatable meatball. Next, we add an egg and fresh bread crumbs (instead of a panade, which made the meatballs too wet) to help bind the meat. We also add a small amount of unflavored gelatin, which mitigates graininess by trapping moisture and giving the meatballs a juicy mouthfeel. To boost meaty flavor, we add glutamate-rich ingredients such as Parmesan cheese, anchovies, tomato paste, or rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
Serve with spaghetti.
Instructions
- Microwave broth and mushrooms in covered bowl until steaming, about 1 minute. Let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain mushrooms in fine-mesh strainer and reserve liquid.
- Pulse bread in food processor until finely ground, 10 to 15 pulses; transfer bread crumbs to large bowl (do not wash processor bowl). Add Parmesan, parsley, gelatin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to bowl with bread crumbs and mix until thoroughly combined. Pulse mushrooms and half of anchovies in food processor until chopped fine, 10 to 15 pulses. Add mushroom mixture, turkey, egg, and half of garlic to bowl with bread-crumb mixture and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. Divide mixture into 16 portions (about 1/4 cup each). Using your hands, roll each portion into ball; transfer meatballs to plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Pulse tomatoes and their juice in food processor to coarse puree, 10 to 15 pulses. Combine oregano, pepper flakes, remaining anchovies, remaining garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in small bowl; set aside.
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add meatballs and cook until well browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer meatballs to paper towel–lined plate, leaving fat in skillet.
- Add reserved anchovy mixture to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to high; stir in tomato paste, reserved mushroom liquid, and pureed tomatoes; and bring to simmer. Return meatballs to skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until meatballs register 160 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes, turning meatballs once. Transfer meatballs to platter, increase heat to high, and simmer sauce until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in basil and season with sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over meatballs and serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.
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