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Tuscan Meatballs with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Keyword turkey
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 14 large meatballs
Author Christine Ma

Ingredients

Turkey meatballs

  • ½ cup panko
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 pounds ground turkey
  • ½ cup parmesan grated
  • ½ cup grated onion
  • ⅓ cup chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 large egg

Sun-dried tomato sauce

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
  • ¼ cup chopped and drained sun-dried tomatoes
  • ¼ cup red wine
  • ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
  • ½ teapoon ground fennel
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon basil
  • ¼ teaspoon parsley
  • salt and pepper
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Combine panko and milk in a large bowl, stirring to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  • Add remaining meatball ingredients to panko mixture including ground turkey, parmesan, grated onion, parsley, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and egg. Form 14 large meatballs and place them prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until browned.
  • Reduce oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Make the sun-dried tomato sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in an oven-safe saute pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add remaining sauce ingredients including canned tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, red wine, oregano, basil, parsley, fennel, and red chili flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
  • Add meatballs to the sauce and cover the pot. Continue to cook in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the oven and sprinkle a generous amount of grated parmesan and fresh basil. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can use any combination of ground meat instead of ground turkey including ground beef, chicken, veal, pork, and lamb. 
The meatballs can be prepared the day before and reheated the following day before serving.
If you don't have an oven-safe pan or Dutch oven, you can transfer the sauce and meatballs to a baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil.