Penne with Turkey Meatballs

This is a recipe that I have made before, but it is the first time I have posted it.  Bodie is with us for 2 days and he loved the Pasta.  Mia and Grandad liked it too.  The recipe for the Simple Tomato Sauce will follow and it makes enough for two meals. I used 1/2 of it in this recipe and froze the other 1/2 for a later use.
Giada De Laurentiis - Foodnetwork

Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/penne-with-turkey-meatballs

Ingredients:
1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten  I only used 1
3/4 cup grated Romano
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil for frying meat
5 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows
1 pound dried penne pasta
Method:
In a large bowl add bread crumbs and milk. Mix well until combined. Mix in egg and 1/2 cup Romano cheese and mix well. Add turkey and gently combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into golf-size balls. 

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium high heat. When almost smoking, add meatballs and without moving or turning the meat, allow it to brown for about 3 minutes. Turn meatballs and brown other side. Continue to cook until all sides are golden brown, about 8 minutes total. Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Lower heat and allow meatballs to simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and keep warm on stove. Be careful not to overhandle the meatballs since they are soft and fragile.

In a large pot, bring to boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rince pasta with water wince you want to retain the pasta natural starches so that the sauce will cling to the penne.

Remove meatballs from sauce and place in serving bowl. Pour some tomato sauce over meatballs, but leave about 1 cup of sauce in skillet. Place the cooked penne into the skillet with the remaining sauce and toss well. Pour sauced pasta into a large serving bowl. Serve alongside the meatballs with extra cheese.
Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/giada-s-marinara-sauce

Simple Tomato Sauce:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves

This is a picture of the sauce before you put it in the food processor

This is a picture of after the sauce has been blended and put in the pot to warm.

Meatballs with Pine Nuts, Cilantro, and Golden Raisins

Stacy is here this weekend and she is trying to eat healthy so I found this recipe in the book I just finished, "A Homemade Life," by Molly Wisenberg. I tend to find a cookbook that I like and just make everything that week from that particular book.  This is the book for the week.  Love, love, loved this recipe.

Printable Recipe:

https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/meatballs-with-yogurt-sauceFor the Yogurt Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt (not low fat or nonfat)
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Meatballs
1/2 cup minced yellow onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped pine nuts
1/2 cup golden raisins, halved or coarsely chopped if large
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey, chicken, or lamb (the author likes it with lamb)
4 Tablespoons olive oil

First, make the yogurt sauce. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside at room temperature to let the flavors develop.
To make the meatballs, combine onions through black pepper in a large bowl. Add the ground meat and, using your hands, break it up into small chunks. Then massage and gently knead the meat to incorporate the ingredients. Mix until combined, but do not overmix. Gently pinch off hunks of the mixture and roll into 1 1/2 inch balls. Set aside on a large plate. (Raw meatballs can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Or place them, not touching, on a rimmed baking sheet and freeze until hard, then transfer them to a heavy-duty plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)
Warm 2 Tablespoons of the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add about 1/2 of the meatballs, taking care not to crowd them. As they begin to color, turn them gently with tongs and lightly shake the pan to roll them around, so they get some color on every side. Don't worry if a few of the pine nuts fall out into the pan; that happens. The meatballs are ready when they're evenly browned and feel pleasantly firm, but not rock-hard. Transfer finished meatballs to a plate lined with paper towel. If the skillet looksdry, add the remaining 2 Tablespoons oil. Cook the remaining meatballs. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with the yogurt sauce.

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

Make a big salad and you have a meal. Giada De Laurentiis - FoodNetwork
Ingredients:
1 (12 oz.) box jumbo pasta shells
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large onion (1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, plus 14 teaspoon
1 (8-10 0unce) package frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped
1 (15 ounce) container of rocotta cheese
3/4 cup grated parmesan
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup choppped fresh basil leaves
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
5 cups Arrabbiata Sauce, recipe follows (or any marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (about 5 ounces)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender, but still very firm to the bite, strring occasionally, about 4-5 min. Drain pasta.  Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teapoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and lt cool slightly. 
In a large bowl, combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9" X 13" baking dish with 1 cup of the arrabbiata sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella cheese. To bak, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 60 minutes.
Arrabbiata Sauce:
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 oz pancetta, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups marinara sauce
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and saute until golden brown ( 5 min) Add garlic and saute until tender ( 1 min) Add marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Allow to cool until ready to use.
Sometimes, I just use marinara sauce in a can and skip the pancetta, red pepper flakes, and garlic.