Baked Turkey Meatballs in Marinara

• 1.25 lb ground turkey (93% lean or dark meat; 99% lean turns dry)
• 1 medium, grated zucchini
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 large eggs
• 6 cloves, minced (3 for the meatballs, 3 for the sauce) garlic
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 cup, chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp, divided sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp, divided olive oil
• 1 small, finely diced yellow onion
• 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup, torn fresh basil
• 12 oz spaghetti whole-grain pasta

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment and brush it with 1 tbsp of the olive oil.
2. Wrap the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
3. In a large bowl, mix the zucchini, oats, egg, 3 of the garlic cloves, oregano, parsley, 1 tsp of the salt, and the pepper. Let it stand 5 minutes so the oats absorb the moisture.
4. Add the turkey and mix gently with your hands until just combined. With wet hands, roll into 18 balls of about 2 tbsp each and set them on the pan.
5. Bake 18–20 minutes, until browned and the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
6. While the meatballs bake, heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion 5 minutes, add the remaining garlic for 1 minute, then pour in the tomatoes and add the remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Simmer 15 minutes.
7. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions and drain.
8. Slide the meatballs into the sauce and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the basil and spoon over the pasta.

Tips

• Squeezing the zucchini dry matters. Wet zucchini makes the mixture too soft to hold its shape.
• Turkey is lean and easy to dry out. The zucchini and oats keep these moist, so do not skip them and do not overbake.
• Freeze cooked meatballs in the sauce for up to 3 months. Cooked, cooled meatballs also make a good make-ahead lunch.
• For a gluten-free or lower-carb plate, serve over spiralized zucchini or roasted spaghetti squash.

More dinner recipes

One-Pan Lemon Herb Salmon

Salmon and asparagus roasted together on a single sheet pan — a 25-minute dinner with almost no cleanup.

Dinner · Easy · 25 min · 4 servings

20-Minute Chicken Stir-Fry

A fast weeknight stir-fry with a simple ginger-garlic sauce — endlessly adaptable to whatever vegetables you have.

Dinner · Easy · 25 min · 4 servings

Hearty Lentil Bolognese

A rich, meaty-tasting tomato sauce built on lentils and mushrooms — comfort food that happens to be plant-based.

Dinner · Medium · 55 min · 6 servings

Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas

Everything roasts on one pan — juicy chicken, charred peppers and onions, ready to wrap.

Dinner · Easy · 40 min · 4 servings