Turkey Meatballs with Tomatoes and Basil

We used to have a cat named Jack. Jack was a sly, slow-moving, long-haired Persian that would rarely come when called, but if you put out a small bowl of vanilla ice cream, out of nowhere he would magically appear. This is sort of how my dad is with meatballs. All I have to do is say, “Dad, I’m making meatballs,” and he’s half-way out the door on the way over. He loves these.

It’s hard to go wrong with meatballs. You just need to make sure you don’t over-mix them, and you brown them slowly enough, and in enough fat, so that flavor develops and the meatballs cook through. That said, meatballs made with ground turkey can tend to be on the dry side. To counter that we add some sour cream to the mix, in addition to breadcrumbs. We also use ground turkey thigh meat, which we are able to get at our local butcher. If you can get ground thighs, I recommend it. Not only will they be more moist because thigh meat is fattier than breast meat, but also more flavorful.

Turkey Meatballs with Tomatoes and Basil Recipe

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (thigh meat if available)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup flour, for dredging

Sauce

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 jalapeno chile, seeded, minced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons white wine or chicken stock
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped (can substitute a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

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