Linguine with Turkey Meatballs and Quick Sauce

Ok, so you need to make these meatballs NOW. If not now, then tomorrow, and if not then, definitely by next week. The meatballs in this Giada recipe are so delicious I was stealing bites of them from Chuck's plate after I was finished with mine. The pancetta, onion, and sun-dried tomatoes all add to this fantastic salty, sweet tasting meatball. And the rest of the recipe is pretty good, too!

I was pointed in the direction of this recipe, from Giada's Everyday Pasta , by BMK at Reservations Not Required. I had never bookmarked this recipe in the past but I am glad that I finally tried it!

As with all recipes that require a pound of ground turkey, I end up buying the 1.25lb. Perdue version, so I end up with a little extra. That being said, I highly recommend that you double the ingredients for the sauce. I ended up with 26 meatballs and look at half of them in the sauce:

So I ended up freezing half the meatballs and only making eight ounces of linguine. Now I basically have a whole other meal in my freezer, just need to heat up the tomatoes and cook some pasta. But seriously, make this today - you won't be disappointed!

Linguine with Turkey Meatballs and Quick Sauce
from Giada De Laurentiis
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Turkey Meatballs:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces pancetta, finely diced
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Quick Sauce (double this):
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and cut into pieces with kitchen scissors
2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound linguine
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook until the pancetta is crisp and the onion is tender, about 4 minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool.

In large bowl, combine the pancetta and onion mixture with the remaining meatball ingredients and stir to combine. Form the turkey mixture into balls about 2 inches in diameter, using about 2 tablespoons for each, and place on foil-lined and greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile in medium saucepan (I used the skillet the pancetta was cooked in to retain more flavor), warm the 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, garlic cloves, parsley, salt, and pepper and cook for at least 10 minutes. Discard the garlic cloves.

See the little garlic guys in there?

Add the cooked meatballs and the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, if pasta needs moistening. Arrange on a serving platter and top with basil.