Creamy Tuscan Turkey Meatballs with Orzo Pasta (video)

20 prep + 40 cook

servings

Rich and creamy Tuscan turkey meatballs with orzo pasta. Easy, one-pan dinner with juicy meatballs, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese!

Using a regular cheese grater, grate the onion into a large mixing bowl. Add the ground turkey, egg, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.