Turkey meatballs with pumpkin and leek
A comforting dinner: pumpkin sweetens the sauce, leek adds fragrance, and turkey meatballs bring everyone to the table.
Cuisine: Mediterranean · Course: Main course
Ingredients
Servings: 2
- 340 g macinato di tacchino
- 70 g albume
- 30 g pangrattato, più poco altro se necessario
- 300 g zucca già pulita
- 200 g porro già pulito
- 250 g passata di pomodoro
- 10 g olio extravergine di oliva
- 1 rametto di rosmarino
- Acqua calda, sale e pepe quanto basta
Method
- Taglia la zucca a cubetti di circa 1 cm. Affetta il porro e sciacqualo bene, separando gli anelli per eliminare la terra.
- Mescola il tacchino con albume, pangrattato, poco rosmarino tritato, sale e pepe. Lascia riposare 5 minuti. Se il composto è troppo morbido, aggiungi poco pangrattato. Forma 10–12 polpette con le mani umide.
- Scalda metà olio in una padella antiaderente ampia. Rosola le polpette per 4–5 minuti, girandole con delicatezza, poi trasferiscile su un piatto pulito.
- Versa l’olio rimasto nella padella, aggiungi porro e zucca e fai insaporire per 3 minuti. Unisci passata e circa 100 ml di acqua calda.
- Rimetti le polpette nel sugo. Copri e cuoci a fuoco dolce per circa 18–20 minuti, girandole a metà cottura e aggiungendo poca acqua se il fondo si asciuga. La carne deve essere ben cotta anche al centro e la zucca tenera.
Allergens: uova, glutine
Pumpkin sweetens the sauce, leek adds fragrance, and these meatballs make you want to sit down to dinner. After a quick browning, the turkey meatballs cook with the pumpkin and leek in the same pan. Serve with bread for dipping in the tomato sauce, if you like.
Times and servings
Serves 2. Preparation 15 minutes · Cooking about 30 minutes · Total about 45 minutes. Times vary with ingredient size, cookware and equipment.
Ingredients for 2
• 340 g minced turkey
• 70 g egg white
• 30 g breadcrumbs, plus a little extra if needed
• 300 g prepared pumpkin
• 200 g trimmed leek
• 250 g tomato passata
• 10 g extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 sprig rosemary
• Hot water, salt and pepper as needed
How to make turkey meatballs with pumpkin and leek
1. Cut the pumpkin into roughly 1 cm cubes. Slice the leek and rinse thoroughly, separating the rings to remove any soil.
2. Mix the turkey with the egg white, breadcrumbs, a little chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. Rest for 5 minutes. If the mixture is too soft, add a little more breadcrumbs. Shape 10–12 meatballs with damp hands.
3. Heat half the oil in a large non-stick pan. Brown the meatballs for 4–5 minutes, turning gently, then transfer to a clean plate.
4. Add the remaining oil to the pan, followed by the leek and pumpkin. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the passata and about 100 ml hot water.
5. Return the meatballs to the sauce. Cover and simmer gently for about 18–20 minutes, turning halfway through and adding a little water if the sauce dries out. The meat must be thoroughly cooked in the centre and the pumpkin tender.
CHIARA!’s tip
Keep the sauce loose: if it reduces too much, add water a tablespoon at a time. Finish with the remaining rosemary, keeping any woody needles out of the dish.
Estimated nutrition per serving
About 400 kcal · Protein 51.4 g · Carbohydrate 25.9 g · Fat 7.9 g.
Turkey is calculated as lean minced breast; pumpkin and leek are weighed after trimming. Only the stated breadcrumbs are included, without any extra additions. Estimated values per serving. All listed oil is included. Spices, herbs, optional garnishes and unmeasured citrus juice are excluded. Values vary with brands, substitutions and actual quantities.
