Meatballs and vegetables roast together in the oven while pasta boils on the stove, then everything gets tossed with some olive oil, lemon juice, and a handful of parsley.
A Flexible Dinner Recipe
The recipe is very adaptable. You can really use any kind of ground meat, and any of your favorite vegetables that have been cut into bite-sized pieces. Today, I went with ground turkey for the meatballs, and zucchini, bell peppers, and onions for the vegetables. It’s a sort-of-Mediterranean mix that works well. I’ve also made this dish with just a head of cauliflower on nights when I can only be bothered to chop up one thing!
Mini Meatballs for the Win
The most time-consuming part of the recipe is rolling out the little meatballs—each one is about an inch in diameter, and the recipe makes about four dozen of them. This is time well spent, though! Once you get started, you’ll get into a groove rolling each one and they’ll take no time at all. These bite-sized meatballs fit right in with the pasta and vegetables, so no knife is required at the table. Kids love them, too.
Make the Meatballs Ahead
You can also prep the meatballs in advance and freeze them for later, if you like. Just put them on a sheet pan lined with plastic wrap, then freeze them until they’re firm, about two hours. After that, you can transfer them to a freezer-safe plastic bag and store them for about two months. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking. Serve this pasta dinner with a big green salad or on its own. The leftovers make a great packed lunch!
3 medium (about 3/4 pound) zucchini, cut into half moons
2 large (about 3/4 pound) red bell peppers, sliced into 1-inch strips
1 medium yellow onion, sliced into half moons
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the meatballs
1 pound ground turkey
1 large egg
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or 1/4 teaspoon each dried oregano, basil, marjoram, and rosemary)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the pasta
1 pound small-shaped pasta, like orecchiette, bow ties, or rotini
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Roast the meatballs for 20 minutes in the oven alongside the vegetables.
