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Rainbow Turkey Meatballs with Hidden Vegetables in Velvety Tomato Sauce - photo 1
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Rainbow Turkey Meatballs with Hidden Vegetables in Velvety Tomato Sauce

Pikantne Kids' Lunches Dania główne Takeaway Dishes 60 min Easy 16 wyświetleń ~28.17 PLN - (0)
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Description

This dish is a real hit for parents who want to sneak more vegetables into their children's diet. Juicy and tender turkey meatballs hide grated carrot and zucchini, which add moisture and sweetness while remaining invisible to picky eaters. The whole dish is bathed in a mild, velvety tomato sauce seasoned with aromatic herbs, perfectly complementing the pasta. The dish is not only healthy and nutritious but also visually appealing, especially when served with colorful pasta. It's an ideal idea for a wholesome, balanced, and above all, tasty dinner for the whole family that will surely become a permanent fixture on your menu.

Składniki (15)

Servings:
4
  • Ground turkey 500 g
  • Carrot 1.3 szt.
  • Zucchini 0.6 szt.
  • Onion 0.5 szt.
  • Egg 1 szt.
  • Breadcrumbs 40 g
  • Tomato passata 500 g
  • Garlic 2 ząbki
  • Tri-color pasta 300 g
  • Rapeseed oil 30 g
  • Dried basil 2 g
  • Dried oregano 2 g
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Salt 0.1 szczypt
  • Ground black pepper 1 szczypta
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Parsley 0.5 pęczek
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~28.17 PLN (7.04 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Preparation of the meatball mixture

1

Start by preparing the vegetables. Wash the carrot and zucchini thoroughly. Peel the carrot using a vegetable peeler. Grate the carrot and zucchini on the finest grater. Transfer the grated vegetables to a sieve and press down firmly with your hand to remove as much juice as possible. This is a key step to ensure the meatballs are not too watery and do not fall apart while frying. Peel the onion and chop it into very, very small cubes.

Ingredients: Carrot, Zucchini, Onion
Use a grater with small holes so that the vegetables will be practically invisible in the finished meatballs. If you have a food processor with a shredding disc, you can use it to speed up the process.
2

In a large bowl, place the ground turkey. Add the drained vegetables (carrot and zucchini), chopped onion, breadcrumbs, and crack in one egg. Season the mixture with two pinches of salt and one pinch of freshly ground black pepper.

Ingredients: Ground turkey, Carrot, Zucchini, Onion, Egg, Breadcrumbs, Salt, Ground black pepper
The bowl should be large enough to easily mix all the ingredients. Make sure the meat has been stored in the refrigerator beforehand – working with cold meat is easier.
3

Now the most important part – kneading the mixture. With a clean hand, start gently mixing all the ingredients, making scooping motions from the bottom to the top. Mix only until the ingredients are evenly combined. The mixture should be firm but still slightly sticky. Kneading for too long will make the meatballs tough and dense.

A common mistake is overmixing the meat mixture for too long. Just about 1-2 minutes of mixing is enough. If the mixture seems too sticky, you can wet your hands with cold water.

Shaping and frying the meatballs

4

Prepare a small bowl of cold water. Wet your hands in the water before shaping each meatball – this will prevent the meat from sticking. Take portions of the mixture (about 1 heaping tablespoon) and roll them in your hands, forming neat balls the size of a walnut. Try to make all the meatballs similar in size so they cook evenly. Place the finished balls on a cutting board or a large plate.

From the given amount of ingredients, you should get about 20-24 small meatballs. Wetting your hands is a simple trick that makes the work much easier.
5

In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot (it should shimmer slightly), carefully place the meatballs in the skillet, leaving small gaps between them. Fry the meatballs for about 5-7 minutes, regularly turning them with tongs or two forks, until they are golden brown on all sides. They do not need to be fully cooked inside, as they will 'finish' later in the sauce.

Ingredients: Rapeseed oil
It's best to use a pan with a diameter of 26-28 cm. Don't add too many meatballs at once, as they will start to stew instead of frying. It's better to fry them in batches. After frying, transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess fat.

Preparing the sauce and braising

6

In the same pan where the meatballs were fried (or in a separate heavy-bottomed pot), reduce the heat to low. If there is too much fat in the pan, drain the excess, leaving about one tablespoon. Add the garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press or very finely chopped. Sauté for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until the garlic releases its aroma. Be careful not to burn it, as it will become bitter.

Ingredients: Garlic
Use a wooden or silicone spatula to mix the garlic. Keep an eye on the time – burnt garlic can ruin the flavor of the entire sauce. It should be just lightly golden, not brown.
7

Pour the entire tomato passata into the pan. Add dried basil, oregano, and a pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly, scraping up all the tasty bits from the bottom of the pan that remained after frying the meatballs. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil.

Ingredients: Tomato passata, Dried basil, Dried oregano, Salt
If the sauce is too acidic (depending on the tomatoes), you can add a pinch of sugar or a bit of honey to balance the flavors. This is a common practice in Italian cuisine.
8

When the sauce starts to gently bubble, add the previously fried meatballs to it. Gently stir so that all the meatballs are coated in the sauce. Reduce the heat to the minimum, cover the pan or pot with a lid, and simmer everything for about 15-20 minutes. During this time, the meatballs will become tender and absorb the flavors of the sauce, and the sauce itself will thicken slightly.

From time to time (e.g., every 5 minutes), gently stir the contents of the pot to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom. After 15 minutes, check one meatball – it should be fully cooked inside.

Cooking pasta and serving

9

While the meatballs are simmering, cook the pasta. In a large pot, bring a large amount of salted water to a boil (about 1 liter of water and half a teaspoon of salt for 100g of pasta). When the water starts to boil vigorously, add the pasta and stir. Cook according to the time indicated on the package until 'al dente' – slightly firm. After cooking, drain the pasta in a colander.

Ingredients: Tri-color pasta, Salt
Do not rinse the pasta with cold water after draining, unless you are making a salad. Leaving the starch on it will help the sauce adhere better. You can save a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and add it to the sauce if it turns out too thick.
10

Serve the hot meatballs with sauce over a portion of cooked pasta. If using, sprinkle the dish with freshly chopped parsley for added color and freshness. You can also offer grated Parmesan for older children and adults to sprinkle on top.

Ingredients: Parsley
To encourage your child to eat, you can create a fun arrangement on the plate – for example, meatballs as eyes and pasta as the hair of a smiling face. The dish also tastes great the next day.

Fun Fact

💡

The technique of 'hiding' vegetables in dishes for children was popularized by American cookbook author Jessica Seinfeld. Her book 'Deceptively Delicious' became a bestseller, showing parents how to easily enrich their children's diet with valuable nutrients.

Best for

Codzienny obiad dla rodziny Przyjęcie urodzinowe dla dzieci Posiłek do lunchboxa do szkoły

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve the dish in colorful bowls. You can stick toothpicks with 'sails' made of cheese into the meatballs, creating little 'boats'. Use pasta in interesting shapes (animals, letters) to make the meal even more appealing for the little ones.

🥡 Storage

Cooked meatballs in sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen – after cooling, transfer to freezer bags or containers and store for up to 3 months. It is best to cook the pasta fresh just before serving.

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