Creamy Tuscan Meatballs with Orzo Pasta

 

Ingredients

• • 1 lb ground turkey, or ground chicken
  • 1 medium onion, grated
  • 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • cooking oil
  • 2 tsp salt, divided
  • ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme, divided
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, divided
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 large shallots, diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
  • 3 to 4 cups baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup white wine, such as chardonnay or sauvignon blanc

• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups cream
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Making the Meatballs:

• Using a regular cheese grater, grate the onion into a large mixing bowl. Add the ground turkey, panko bread crumbs and all the seasonings: 1 tsp salt, pepper, dried garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary.
• Using your hands, gently massage all the ingredients together, creating a uniform meatball mixture without overmixing the batter.
• Use a 1 tablespoon measuring scoop to portion the batter into small meatballs. Drop them on a tray wrapped in plastic wrap for easier clean up.
• Coat your hands in cooking oil, then gently roll the batter to form nice, round meatballs.

Frying the Meatballs:

• Preheat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat with a generous drizzle of cooking oil (I use avocado oil).
• Once the pan is hot, add the meatballs, spacing them out about 1-inch apart. Fry the meatballs in 2 to 3 batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Fry the meatballs for 5 to 6 minutes, turning gently with rubber tipped tongs or a spoon, until they’re nicely browned all over.
• Transfer the browned meatballs onto a tray and set aside for later.

Preparing the Sauce:

• Into the same pan over medium heat, add a tablespoon of butter and the diced shallots. Fry for a few minutes, just until the shallots are softened. Add in the diced garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes next and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the baby spinach, then pour in the white wine. Season the sauce with 1 tsp salt, pepper, and the remaining fresh and dried herbs: 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary.
• Cook mixture for 5 to 6 minutes, until the wine is nicely reduced, and the spinach has wilted down. Can’t use wine? Replace the wine with ½ cup of chicken broth and the juice of 1 lemon.
• Add the orzo pasta to the pan and stir to combine with the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Pour in the chicken broth, cream, parmesan cheese, and parsley and stir.

Cooking Instructions:

• Return the meatballs back into the pan, placing them gently over the orzo pasta.
• Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Cook the dish over medium heat for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the orzo pasta is cooked to al dente.
• Once cooked, use a spatula, gently stir together the sauce, the pasta, and the meatballs together.

Serving & Reheating:

• These Tuscan meatballs with orzo are best enjoyed right away. I love to add extra parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of fresh parsley over each serving before digging in to enjoy.
• Need to reheat leftovers? Add the meatballs and orzo into a pan and rehydrate the pasta with a bit of chicken broth. Reheat over medium heat, adding broth as needed until the pasta is creamy.