About
Mimi's Meatball Casserole is just a marvel of a Sunday dinner! Everyone is going to want to load up their plates with piles of nourishing and tender whole-wheat pasta and savory, juicy, homemade turkey meatballs, with a hint of parmesan sharpness. A blanket of lightly crisped and melty mozzarella just makes Mimi's Meatball Casserole all the cozier and more delicious! Sunday dinner has never felt this satisfying!
Ingredients
- 6 ounces whole-wheat penne
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more, to taste
- 3 slices whole-wheat bread
- 1 pound extra-lean ground turkey
- 8 ounces spicy Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, plus more, to taste, for garnish
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 (32-ounce) container tomato sauce
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 4 ounces whole-fat fresh mozzarella, shredded, plus 4 ounces, thinly sliced, divided
Directions
Step 1 -Position an oven rack to the middle position.
Step 2 -Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 3 -In a large pot of salted, boiling water, add the pasta and cook just to al dente, according to the package directions.
Step 4 -Drain the pasta.
Step 5 -Add the extra olive oil to the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Set it aside.
Step 6 -In a food processor, add the bread slices and cover the processor.
Step 7 -Pulse until the bread becomes coarse crumbs.
Step 8 -In a large mixing bowl, add 3/4 cup of the breadcrumbs, the ground turkey, the turkey sausage, the egg, the salt, the parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup of the parsley and with your clean fingers or two forks, mix lightly until the ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to compact the meat.
Step 9 -Form the meat mixture into 2-inch balls.
Step 10 -In a large, deep, ovenproof skillet over medium-high, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil.
Step 11 -Add the meatballs to the hot oil and cook, while turning them occasionally, until they are browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Step 12 -Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a plate.
Step 13 -Add 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil to the skillet and allow it to heat.
Step 14 -Add the onions to the hot oil and cook, while stirring, until they begin to brown and soften, about 4 minutes.
Step 15 -Add the garlic, the oregano, and the red pepper flakes to the onions and cook, while stirring, until just fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Step 16 -Add the tomato sauce and the spinach to the onion mixture, stirring to combine.
Step 17 -Add the meatballs to the sauce mixture and let them simmer until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 20 minutes.
Step 18 -Add the pasta and 4 ounces of the shredded mozzarella to the sauce mixture and gently stir to combine.
Step 19 -Top the meatball mixture with the remaining sliced mozzarella.
Step 20 -Bake the meatball mixture on the middle rack until the cheese is melted and lightly crisp on top and the edges are bubbling, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 21 -Allow the casserole to rest for 5 minutes.
Step 22 -Serve garnished with the extra parsley.
