Baked Turkey Ricotta Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 whole Red Onion, Chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 4 cups Fresh Spinach, Chopped
• 2 whole Eggs
• ¼ cups Parmesan
• ½ cups Bread Crumbs
• 8 ounces, fluid Ricotta Cheese
• 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
• 2 pounds Ground Turkey
• 1 can (28 Oz. Size) Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Prepared Pesto

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Heat a skillet over medium low heat; add the oil and onion and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the spinach; it will wilt with the carryover heat from the onions and garlic. Let the mixture cool for about 4-5 minutes off the heat.

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, parmesan, bread crumbs, ricotta and Italian seasoning. When the onion mixture has cooled, fold that in. Add the turkey and, using your hands, mix until everything is well combined. Form into 20 meatballs (about 2 inches in diameter). Wash your hands.

In another bowl, mix together the tomatoes and pesto. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Pour about 1/4 cup of the tomato mixture into the bottom of the pan, then evenly place the meatballs on top; you may have to squish them together some, but they’ll shrink a bit during the cooking. Top the meatballs with the remaining tomato mixture. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 350ºF for 2 1/2 hours. Let sit for a few minutes when done baking to let them cool and to allow the juices to stay in the meatballs. Serve hot!