Ground turkey mixed with fresh ingredients like grated shallot, minced garlic, Italian flat leaf parsley and Parmesan (to name a few) cooked low and slow in a basil marinara.
Hamilton Beach 33969A 6-Quart Programmable Set & Forget w/Temperature Probe Slow Cooker, Stainless Steel
Ingredients
2poundsground turkey
1largeshallotfinely grated
4clovesgarlicminced
1cupItalian breadcrumbs
1/3cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheeseplus more for serving
1/4cupminced flat leaf parsley leavesplus more for serving
1teaspoonitalian seasoning
2pinchesred pepper flakesoptional
1large egglightly beaten
4cupsbasil marinaraor use store-bought
3/4poundspaghetti noodlesor linguine
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
In a large bowl combine ground turkey, shallot, garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes (if using) and egg. Use a fork to mix until combined.
Pour 1 cup of the marinara in the bottom of your slow cooker.
Form each meatball (I made mine slightly larger than the size of golf balls, about 2-3 tablespoons which yield 18 meatballs) and add directly to the slower cooker as you go. Pour remaining sauce over top, cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Once the time is up, switch to the warm setting and bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Add in the linguine and cook, following package directions, until al dente or preferred doneness. Transfer meatballs (only) to a plate, then add cooked pasta to the slow cooker and toss to combine. Transfer pasta to a large platter and add the meatballs.
Serve pasta and meatballs with more grated Parmesan cheese and minced parsley over top.
*I used the recipe in my cookbook for homemade marinara. I upped the 8 ounce can of tomato sauce called for in the recipe to a 15 ounce can and added in a handful of sliced fresh basil. But using a good quality jar of store bought sauce is perfectly okay!
This is great to make ahead! I've prepped everything the evening before and refrigerated overnight so all I have to do is put the crock pot into it's base and turn it on.