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    Home > Recipes > Pasta

    Cellentani with Turkey Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

    Published: Feb 9, 2021 · Modified: Aug 4, 2022 by Garden to Griddle · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    cellentani with marinara and turkey meatballs

    Why do meatballs make such a great meal? Because you can add them to many different recipes, enjoy them alone with an amazing sauce, or without as a finger food. If done well, you can really use any meat or protein to create unique meatball dishes. For this recipe, I’ve combined Cellentani noodles, my homemade turkey meatballs, and my homemade marinara sauce. Together it makes an incredible pasta! 

    This is a dish that my whole family enjoys and it’s really quite simple, making it even more enjoyable.

    Ingredients

    Marinara Sauce: I use my homemade Marinara Sauce for this recipe. You get the perfect mix of sweet, savory, and bright flavors using these ingredients:

    Crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves, dried oregano, dried basil, splash of water, sea salt, olive oil, and crushed black pepper. I doubled my original recipes to make about 6 servings of sauce for this recipe (about 7 meatballs per serving).

    Of course you can use store bought if you need something even quicker. But, if you have just a few minutes to chop up some garlic and onion, open a can, and toss in some spices, it’ll be worth it to make this homemade, I promise!

    I recommend making a big batch and just freeze whatever is leftover immediately and then you’re set for the next time you need a marinara sauce (probably later in the week because you’ll crave it again soon)!

    Noodles: I love noodles with texture that hold the sauce well. Cellentani (cavatappi) and fusilli make great options.  The texture of the noodles go well with meatballs, and it makes for an easy finger food for my toddler. You can use any noodle!

    Making the Meatballs

    I don’t prefer large meatballs in this recipe so I use 1 tablespoon to measure out each ball. Make them as big as you want by doubling or tripling the portions and adjust the serving size accordingly.

    Baking Option

    turkey meatballs formed and lined on baking sheet on parchment paper
    baked turkey meatballs piled on a white plate

    Pan Fry Option

    uncooked turkey meatball in palm of hand
    meatballs flipped to show cooked side in cast iron

    Yields: about 45 meatballs.

    More Recipes with Ground Turkey

    • Chard and Zucchini Turkey Meatballs that can also be made into burgers.
    • Italian Turkey and Fingerling Potatoes
    cellentani with marinara and turkey meatballs

    Cellentani with Turkey Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

    With the perfect blend of sweet marinara and flavor-packed meatballs this pasta dish will be a new stable in your home, guaranteed!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 50 minutes mins
    Course Main Course, Toddler and Kid Friendly
    Cuisine Italian, Turkey
    Servings 6

    Ingredients
      

    • 16 oz uncooked Cellentani noodles 1 box or about 6 cups uncooked noodles-option to use any noodle

    For the Marinara

    • ¼ cups olive oil
    • 6 tablespoon minced garlic
    • 3 cups diced yellow onion
    • 29 oz can crushed tomatoes, no salt added (2 - 14.5 oz. cans)
    • 1 ½ teaspoon dried basil
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 2 tablespoon water
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    • fresh ground pepper to taste

    For the Meatballs

    • 1 ½ lbs ground turkey
    • 1 ½ tablespoon quinoa flour (I grind raw quinoa to make my own)
    • ¾ cups shredded parmesan cheese
    • ¾ cups minced parsley (or cilantro)
    • ¾ cups minced yellow onion
    • 3 tablespoon minced garlic
    • ¾ teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 ¼ cups shredded zucchini (squeeze out excess liquid)
    • ¾ teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon garlic granules
    • freshly ground black pepper

    Instructions
     

    Make the Meatballs

    • Shred zucchini and squeeze out excess liquid. In a medium bowl, combine zucchini with ground turkey. Add remaining meatball ingredients and mix well using a fork or your hands. Don't overmix.
    • Let mixture sit to allow the quinoa to absorb moisture. If possible leave overnight but if not then just let sit as long as possible. If quinoa flour is very fine then you don't need to wait long (5 minutes).
    • Roll mixture into small rounds. I use 1 tablespoon scoop per ball but you can make them bigger, it will just decrease the overall amount.
    • Start cooking noodles (until al dente).

    Baked Meatballs Option

    • Spray meatballs lightly with olive oil and bake at 400℉ for 30 minutes on middle rack.

    Pan Fry Option

    • Add 1 tbsp. olive oil to a large pan. On low-medium heat place meatballs. Cook for approximately 3 minutes covered and then decrease heat slightly.
    • After approximately 6 minutes of cooking roll/flip balls with a spoon. After another few minutes decrease heat to Lo and cook covered for another 4-5 minutes until lightly browned.

    Make Homemade Marinara Sauce

    • Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add 2 tbsp. olive oil. Sauté onion and garlic until translucent (about 5 minutes).
    • Add spices, canned crushed tomatoes, and water and bring to low simmer. Decrease temperature to Lo for about 10 minutes.
    • Turn off heat and let sit. Once cooled slightly, Using blender or immersion blender to blend all ingredients until smooth to your liking.
    • Choose to combine noodles, marinara, and meatballs together to serve or pour marinara over noodles and top with meatballs.
    Keyword marinara, pasta recipes, turkey meatballs

    More Pasta

    • Penne pasta with ground pork, red peppers, and onoin in a light sauce.
      Light Pork Pasta
    • white Corning Ware bowl with fusilli noodles, diced black olives, dark red kidney beans, diced green onion, diced tomato mixed together with a wooden spoon in the bowl and all on a blue and white towel.
      Bean Powered Pasta Salad
    • red lentil pasta with fresh parsley leaves and freshly grated Havarti cheese all on white oval plate. Cheese grater with Havarti cheese chunk in upper right corner
      Red Lentil Pasta Recipe
    • ground beef with veggies in a cream sauce with rotini pasta on a white plate
      Creamy Beef Rotini

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