Prep Time 15 mins
COOK Time 40 minutes
– ½ medium Vidalia onion, coarsely chopped – ¼ c fresh parsley, loosely packed – ¼ c fresh basil, loosely packed – 2 cloves garlic, chopped – 1 tsp Italian seasoning – 1 tsp kosher salt – ½ tsp ground pepper – ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, optional – 1 lb ground turkey – 1 large egg yolk – 2 tbsp ghee, or butter
Prep Time 15 mins
COOK Time 40 minutes
– 4 tbsp ghee, or butter, divided – ½ medium Vidalia onion, diced to ½" – 2 cloves garlic, minced – 3 tbsp tomato paste – 1 tsp Italian seasoning – 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes, fire roasted preferred – 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil – ½ tsp kosher salt, or to taste – ½ tsp ground pepper, or to taste *Optional. Feel free to use your favorite jarred marinara sauce!
If making marinara from scratch, start it first. Start the sauce by sautéing onions and garlic in ghee or butter. Once softened, add some tomato paste and cook a few minutes to work off the canned flavor.
Add fire roasted canned tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, then top with a bit more ghee or butter. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Once the tomatoes have broken down and the flavors have developed, add fresh basil and give it a quick puree.
While the sauce simmers, make the meatballs. Combine the onions, garlic, fresh basil and parsley, and dried herbs and seasonings in a food processor. Give it a few pulses until the mixture is finely minced.
Break the ground turkey into chunks and add to the food processor along with the egg yolk; pulse the mixture until it’s just barely combined.
Coat your hands with oil (to both prevent sticking, and yes, add more flavor), then scoop two-tablespoon portions of the mixture and form into meatballs.
Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. In batches, sear the meatballs in butter or ghee on all sides.
Return all the meatballs to the skillet, then transfer to a 350°F oven and bake 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 165°F using an instant read thermometer.
Once cooked, toss the meatballs in the marinara sauce, serve with a bit more fresh parsley, and enjoy right away.