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Turkey Meatballs in Marinara over Spaghetti

Turkey Meatballs in Marinara over Spaghetti reads umami 7.6, richness 6.3 and salinity 5.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 52 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 8.4 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.1 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 1.9 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.4 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 7.0 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.2 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.6 · Richness 6.3 · Salinity 5.0 · Allium 4.7 · Sweetness 2.6 · Funk & Ferment 2.4 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Nutty 2.1 · Sourness 1.7 · Fruity 1.6 · Heat 1.6 · Warm Spice 1.5 · Earthy 1.3 · Bitterness 1.2 · Floral 0.9 · Citrus 0.7

What's in it (14)

• turkey meat — 454 g
• white sandwich bread — 56 g
• regular milk — 79 g
• egg — 100 g
• parmesan cheese — 57 g
• garlic — 12 g
• parsley — 11 g
• salt — 7 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• olive oil — 41 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• tomatoes — 794 g
• red chili flakes — 1 g
• thin spaghetti — 454 g

Time & effort: about 52 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 91.9 kcal, 8.6 g protein, 2.8 g fat, 8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. In a small bowl, tear the bread into pieces and pour the milk over it; let sit until fully absorbed and mashable into a paste, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, the soaked bread mixture, egg, Parmesan, half the garlic, half the parsley, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Mix gently with your hands just until combined — overmixing makes the meatballs tough. Shape into 16 meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches each.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the meatballs in batches until browned on all sides but not cooked through, 4-5 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the onion to the same pot; sauté, scraping up any browned bits, until softened and translucent, 4-5 minutes.
5. Add the remaining garlic and the red pepper flakes; sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
6. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a simmer.
7. Nestle the seared meatballs back into the sauce, cover partially, and simmer gently, spooning sauce over the meatballs occasionally, until they reach 165°F in the center and the sauce has thickened slightly, 18-20 minutes.
8. While the meatballs simmer in step 7, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente, about 10-11 minutes; reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
9. Stir the remaining parsley into the sauce and taste, adding more salt if needed. Toss the drained spaghetti with a splash of the reserved pasta water directly in the pot to loosen it, then divide among bowls, top with the meatballs and sauce, and finish with more Parmesan.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Spaghetti and Meatballs — Italian-American
• Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta — Italian-American
• Baked Stuffed Peppers with Beef and Rice — American
• Baked Manicotti — Italian-American
• Baked Rigatoni with Mini Meatballs — Italian-American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.