TURKEY MEATBALLS & SPAGHETTI SQUASH NOODLES – The Love Notes Blog
If you’re looking for a lighter version of the traditional spaghetti & meatballs dish, try this! Turkey meatballs & “noodles” from spaghetti squash. Easy & much healthier (:
Here’s what I use:
- 1 lb extra lean, all natural turkey
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used toasted whole wheat bread, crumbled up)
- 1/4 cup shredded carrots
- 1 small onion
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of Italian seasonings
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- Mozzarella cheese to sprinkle on top when finished
- Your favorite pasta sauce. We like Bertolli’s with olive oil, basil & garlic. Rao’s Homemade sauce in Tomato Basil is awesome, too!
What I do:
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. I always get in there with my hands to make sure everything is nice & mixed. Go on, give it some love (:
- Roll your meatballs & place them on a greased baking sheet (I spray with Pam, the olive oil kind)
- Cook for about 15 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Makes about 12 meatballs.
If I finish the meatballs way before it’s time to eat, I let them simmer in pasta sauce & prepare the spaghetti squash when it’s closer to dinner time- spaghetti squash only takes about 15 minutes to make, start to finish. If it’s dinnertime, I’ll go ahead & start my spaghetti squash while the meatballs are cooking.
Click here for the spaghetti squash recipe!
Side note:
I remember my dad being really good at making meatballs, probably because he was Italian (: I remember when someone would compliment him on how good something tasted, his response was always the same. “It’s because I cooked it with love! If you cook with love, everything comes out better.” My dad isn’t on this Earth anymore, but I never fail to think of him & his words when I am making meals. I encourage you to try cooking with love, especially if you think cooking is a chore!
Be thankful you have food to eat & the ability to prepare it for others (: