I love fettuccine alfredo, and I love turkey, so I thought, why not put them together? To keep it simple, which is my M.O., I could have sliced up a turkey breast and added that into the pasta. I'm sure that would have been delicious. But I wanted to take it one step further.
So, I made delicious turkey meatballs, roasted them and tossed them with pasta and alfredo sauce. In all honesty, I've been thinking about this dish for weeks now, so I am very excited to have finally made it and to share it with you. This recipe is surprisingly light because the sauce doesn't have nearly as much cream as you would expect. The sauce and the turkey meatballs are a perfect match and exactly what you need for dinner.
This post is written as a paid partnership with Turkey Farmers Of Canada and thinkturkey.ca
Turkey Meatballs
The first step to this dish is to make the turkey meatballs. To do that, combine one pound of ground turkey with one teaspoon of kosher salt (about half a teaspoon if you are using table salt). Add a quarter teaspoon of white pepper, one teaspoon of each fresh chopped rosemary and Italian seasoning, two tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese, and one tablespoon of minced garlic. Mix well.
If you enjoy working with ground turkey, you might also want to try my Turkey Taco Soup for another flavourful way to use this versatile protein.
Forming the Meatballs
First, to form the turkey meatballs, wet your hands with cold water, then pick up about a tablespoon of the turkey mixture and roll it into a ball. Put the turkey meatball on a lightly oiled roasting pan and continue until all the turkey has been used up. In total, you should get around twenty to twenty-four turkey meatballs. Wet your hands after every fourth or fifth ball to prevent the turkey from sticking.
Cooking the Turkey Meatballs
To cook the meatballs, roast them for fifteen minutes at 400 degrees F. Once the turkey meatballs are roasted, heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add one tablespoon of olive oil and a quarter cup of butter.
Wait for the butter to melt and start to foam, then add in the meatballs. Cook the meatballs for two to three minutes or until golden brown on at least two sides.
The same meatball method is behind my Swedish meatballs. Different sauce, same technique.
Making the Turkey Meatball Alfredo
A Note About Alfredo Sauce
Before we jump into finishing this dish, I want to talk about alfredo sauce quickly. The alfredo sauce that we are used to is a thick, rich, garlicky cream sauce. The original Italian version of the sauce is just butter and parmesan cheese. The parmesan melts into the butter, and when tossed with the pasta, it makes a creamy, light sauce.
Maybe you've seen videos online of people mixing pasta in a giant wheel of parmesan cheese? Well, that is a version of the traditional alfredo. The sauce in this recipe is a cross between the classic sauce and the one we know. There is a little cream in it and a little garlic, but it is still much lighter than what you are likely used to. It's not going to weigh you down or make you feel disgustingly full. This lighter version of alfredo sauce pairs perfectly with the lean, flavourful turkey meatballs.
Starting The Alfredo Sauce
Once the meatballs are browned, add one tablespoon (about two cloves) of thinly sliced garlic to the pan and cook, stirring for about one minute or until you really start to smell the garlic.
Putting It All Together
As soon as the turkey meatballs come out of the oven, start cooking your pasta. For six portions, you want to use a whole (454 g) box. I used gluten-free pasta, but you can use whatever you'd like. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
Drain the pasta and add it into the pan with the meatballs and garlic. Add in one cup of grated parmesan cheese and half a cup of heavy cream. Cook the pasta, stirring and tossing until all of the parmesan has melted and the pasta is coated in the sauce. Finish the pasta by seasoning it with half a teaspoon of kosher salt and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper, then serve.
Note: You can substitute the cream for whole milk if you'd like.
If you want a lighter sauce with more protein, try this cottage cheese Alfredo sauce.
Recipe
Turkey Meatball Alfredo
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs
- 1 lb ground Turkey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 2 tablespoon grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Alfredo
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 batch Turkey Meatballs
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced garlic
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 6 portions of cooked pasta
- ½ cup of cream
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Turkey Meatballs
- Preheat your oven to 400°f
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the turkey with the salt, white pepper, rosemary, parmesan cheese, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Mix well.
- Wet your hands with cold water and roll the turkey in small balls using about 1 tablespoon of the turkey mix for each ball. In total, you should get between 20 and 24 turkey meatballs.
- Put the meatballs in a roasting pan lightly coated with olive oil and cook in the oven for 15 minutes.
Alfredo
- Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add in the butter and olive oil. Once the butter melts and starts to foam, add in the turkey meatballs and cook for 2-3 minutes to brown the outside.
- Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add cooked pasta, parmesan and cream.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and stir the pasta until all of the parmesan has melted and the sauce is creamy.
- Season the pasta with salt and pepper and serve.
Final Thoughts
I have wanted to make this dish for a while, and I'm thrilled that I finally got around to it. The turkey meatballs are bursting with flavour, juicy and tender, and the sauce is light and creamy with a mild garlic flavour. It really is something much different than your usual pasta night.
If you love this kind of comfort food, I'd also recommend trying my Spaghetti and Meatballs for a more classic take on meatballs and pasta. And for another great turkey dinner idea, have a look at my Turkey Lasagna Recipe. Give this turkey meatball alfredo a shot. I really think you are going to love it.
Thank you to Turkey Farmers of Canada for sponsoring this post. For more great turkey recipes, check out thinkturkey.ca
These meatballs were DELICIOUS! We did add about 1/4 cup plain low-sodium Panko bread crumbs. No fresh rosemary available, so we substituted 1/4 teaspoon and tiny pinch of dried. And my husband and I cheated on the Alfredo sauce and used a (semi-healthy) version from a jar. We cooked the meatballs until they were browner and crisper than pictured. Served with a nice romaine salad and sugar-free balsamic vinaigrette. Very quick meal! Next time we will make the Alfredo sauce too