Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs with Quinoa Pasta

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of RAGÚ®.

Moms, it’s that time of the year again.  Back to school has started and I’m sure many of you are fully into the swing of all the afterschool activities and busy days.  It can be tough getting an easy meal on the table on those busy nights, so I think you’ll love these gluten free turkey meatballs with quinoa pasta.

Why is this dish great for busy moms?

Let’s face it, sometimes the kids want their go-to favorites – but maybe you and the hubby are in the mood for something a bit different!

These gluten free turkey meatballs give you the best of both worlds.  It’s a take on the kid-classic of spaghetti and meatballs, but made with lean ground turkey.  And instead of regular ol’ pasta, you’ll use quinoa pasta to mix things up.

But by far the best part of this dish?  The sauce!

This isn’t a sauce that you need to spend hours making in the kitchen.  Oh no, my friends.  This recipe uses RAGÚ® Simply Chunky Marinara Pasta Sauce – and it is delish.

Think juicy plump tomatoes, fragrant garlic and onion, all those tasty spices you’re used to….and it’s all in a convenient store-bought sauce.  By using a jarred sauce, you can get this dish on the table in about 45 minutes – not bad for a delicious, healthy meal!

Not to mention, this sauce has no added sugar and is made using 100% olive oil!  Quality ingredients for the win.

How to make these gluten free meatballs with quinoa pasta

It couldn’t be any easier!  You’ll just mix up your ground turkey with some egg, spices and seasonings, and gluten free breadcrumbs.

Roll them into balls and pop them in the oven.

Then while your meatballs are cooking, you’ll boil your quinoa pasta.  If you haven’t tried quinoa pasta, it’s really easy to find these days – either in the regular pasta section of your grocery store or in the natural/gluten free section.

Heat up your RAGÚ® Simply Chunky Marinara Pasta Sauce, toss it with the cooked meatballs and pasta, and boom – you’ve got a healthy recipe that the whole family will love.

If you want to add a veggie to the meal, we like to pair this some frozen broccoli that can be popped in the microwave while the meatballs are cooking.

Looking for other weeknight dinner ideas?

Consider these easy pasta sauce recipes for lunch or dinner:

• Make baked eggplant parm!  Slice your eggplant and dip in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs.  Then pop it in the oven at 400 degrees on a baking sheet for around 10-20 minutes until crisp.  Then layer them in a casserole dish with mozzarella cheese and RAGÚ® Simply Chunky Marinara Pasta Sauce, and bake for another 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.
• Get your spiralizer game on.  Spiralize some zucchini and toss it with some lean cooked ground beef and RAGÚ® Simply Chunky Marinara Pasta Sauce.
• Create a pizza grilled cheese!  Use whole wheat bread for extra fiber, or gluten free bread if you’re gluten intolerant.  Then fill ‘em and grill ‘em with mozzarella cheese along with any veggies of your choice.  Fill a bowl with RAGÚ® Simply Chunky Marinara Pasta Sauce for dipping!
• Get saucy with your meatloaf.  Have some extra pasta sauce that you’re not sure what to do with?  This is a perfect idea.  Instead of your traditional meatloaf recipe, mix 2 pounds of lean ground beef with ¼ cup minced onion, 1 egg, ½ cup oats, and 1/3 cup RAGÚ® Simply Chunky Marinara Pasta Sauce.  Add some extra spoonfuls of sauce to the top, bake in the oven, slice, and serve.
• Make an easy Shakshouka.  Sauté a chopped onion and bell pepper in a little olive oil in a large skillet.  When tender, pour in a jar of RAGÚ® Simply Chunky Marinara Pasta Sauce and let simmer for a few minutes.  Crack several eggs into the pan, and cover it.  Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the eggs are cooked through.  Enjoy with any bread of your choice (pita, gluten free, etc).
• RAGÚ also has some fabulous recipe ideas on their site, like this quinoa penne with tomato basil sauce or this cauliflower crust mix & match pizza.

I hope you get a chance to enjoy these gluten free turkey meatballs with quinoa pasta, or one of the other weeknight dinner ideas above!  If you do try the recipe, be sure to leave a rating and let us know what you think.

5 from 1 vote

Print

Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs with Quinoa Pasta

Looking for a new take on an old classic? Try this family-friendly gluten free turkey meatballs and quinoa pasta, topped with a tasty sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword gluten free turkey meatballs, quinoa pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4

Author Comeback Momma

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 small red onion, peeled and grated
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (plus additional fresh parsley for garnish)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2/3 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 24 oz jar of RAGÚ® Simply Chunky Marinara Pasta Sauce
• 8 oz quinoa pasta

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine turkey, bread crumbs, egg, olive oil, onion, garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, parsley, basil and oregano. I like to use my hands to make sure it’s all thoroughly combined. Drop mixture, about 2-inch diameter per meatball, onto the prepared baking sheet. I recommend using an ice cream scoop for this, but you can use a spoon.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through and lightly browned, about 25-30 minutes. Internal temperature should be at least 165 F.

4. Meanwhile, boil water and cook your pasta according to instructions on box

5. About 10 minutes before meatballs are ready, add jar of RAGÚ® Simply Chunky Marinara Pasta Sauce in large pot (deep enough for all the meatballs) - cook on low to bring to a slow simmer. Stir occasionally.

6. After meatballs are done, add them all to the sauce.  If you the enough time, simmer for an extra 10-15 minutes to let them get nice and saucy.

7. Plate pasta and top with 4 meatballs per person and lots of sauce!

Recipe Notes

• This recipe makes approximately 20 meatballs.  One serving = 4 meatballs along with pasta and sauce.
• Extra meatballs make for a great meatball sub the next day.

Share:  Did you try these gluten free turkey meatballs with quinoa pasta?  What did you think?  Have you ever tried RAGÚ® Simply Chunky Marinara Pasta Sauce?  What other pasta sauce recipe ideas do you have?

The folks at RAGÚ® are also offering a cool prize pack giveaway with sauce, recipes, apron, garlic press and more. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sharing is caring!