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Dinner recipe · from the recipe book

Baked Turkey Meatball Ziti with Basil and Spinach

Tender herbed turkey meatballs nestle into short pasta with a bright tomato-basil sauce, wilted spinach and a golden, bubbly mozzarella top.

Baked Turkey Meatball Ziti with Basil and Spinach

Ingredients

  • 1 lb450 gGround turkey, 93% lean
  • 1 large50 gEggsbeaten
  • ¼ cup30 gPlain dry breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup grated25 gGrated Parmesan
  • 4 cloves12 gGarlicminced
  • 2 tsp2 gDried oregano
  • 10½ oz300 gPasta, dryziti or penne
  • 12⅔ cups3,000 gWater
  • 1 tsp6 gSalt
  • 1 tbsp15 gOlive oil
  • 1 medium110 gYellow onionfinely chopped
  • 1¾ lb800 gDiced tomatoes, canned
  • 2 tbsp30 gTomato paste
  • ½ tsp1 gCrushed red pepper
  • 5 cups loosely packed150 gBaby spinachroughly chopped
  • ¾ cup leaves20 gFresh basiltorn
  • 3½ oz100 gPart-skim mozzarellashredded
  • ½ tsp1 gBlack pepper

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. In a bowl, mix the turkey-ground, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan, half the garlic, the oregano, 1 g of the salt and the black pepper. Roll into about 20 small meatballs and set them on the baking sheet.
  3. Bake the meatballs 12 minutes until lightly browned; they will finish in the sauce. Lower the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  4. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large pot with 4 g of the salt. Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the package says, then drain.
  5. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion 5 minutes until soft, then add the remaining half of the garlic, the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and stir 1 minute.
  6. Add the tomatoes-canned and the remaining 1 g of salt and simmer 8 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in the spinach until wilted, then stir in half the basil.
  7. Fold the drained pasta into the sauce, nestle in the meatballs and scatter the mozzarella over the top.
  8. Bake 15 minutes until bubbling and the cheese is golden, and the meatballs reach 165°F (74°C) in the center.
  9. Rest 5 minutes, then scatter the remaining half of the basil over the top and serve.

Contains: Milk, Egg, Gluten. Some brands contain soy.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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