Baked Turkey Parmesan Meatballs with Rigatoni and Chunky Tomato Basil Sauce

"Basically the easiest dinner ever. Plus it’s incredibly filling. Serve with a side salad for a well-rounded meal."

Servings: 12 BIG meatballs

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Recipe Directions

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

1 pound lean ground turkey (aim for 94-95%)

1 egg

¼ cup breadcrumbs (use gluten free breadcrumbs if you’d like)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons fresh minced basil leaves

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups fire roasted tomatoes (about 2 - 15 oz cans)

1 cup tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons fresh minced basil leaves

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Optional if you like heat: 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste

For the pasta:

8 oz whole grain or gluten free uncooked rigatoni

Extras:

Basil, for garnish

Extra Go Veggie! Dairy Free Parmesan Cheese Topping, for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, GO Veggie! Parmesan cheese, garlic, basil, oregano, cumin, garlic powder and cayenne pepper until well combined. Use a cookie scoop to drop meatballs on prepared baking pan; you will get about 12 meatballs. If you want smaller meatballs, use a small cookie scoop to get around 16. Bake for 15 minutes.
While meatballs are baking, you can start the sauce: Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 min. Next add in tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste basil, oregano, Italian seasoning and cayenne pepper (if you’d like some heat). Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Or until sauce thickens up a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste. Next add cooked meatballs to the sauce and leave on low heat until ready to serve.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, then divide pasta evenly among four bowls. Top with ½ cup tomato sauce and 3 big meatballs. Garnish with extra parmesan and basil. Enjoy!