This meatball recipe is made with turkey mince as it's lower in fat than pork or beef mince.
We also suggest serving this with courgetti. If you don’t have a spiralizer at home, you can buy ready prepared courgetti in most supermarkets. Alternatively, use a Y-shaped peeler to peel the courgettes into ribbons, then slice them into thinner lengths.
290 g jar roasted peppers (about 200g/7oz drained weight), drained and finely chopped
2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
4 Tbsp. rolled oats
1 tsp. fennel seeds
400 g (14oz) turkey thigh mince
Zest of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan, plus extra, to serve
4 large courgettes, spiralized
Directions
Step 1
First make the sauce: in a medium pan heat 1tbsp oil and fry the onion until softened, about 5-8min. Add half the garlic and all the peppers and fry for 3min, then stir in the tomatoes. Season well, bring to the boil, and then simmer gently for 20-25min, stirring often.
Step 2
Meanwhile, make the meatballs: in a small food processor whiz the oats, remaining garlic and fennel seeds until finely chopped (alternatively chop together on a board). Tip the mixture into a large bowl and add the turkey mince, lemon zest and Parmesan. Season generously, mix well, and then divide into 20 meatballs.
Step 3
Heat the remaining 2tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Fry the meatballs over a medium-high heat, turning, until golden and cooked through, about 15-18min. With a slotted spoon, add the meatballs to the tomato sauce, leaving the oil behind in the pan. Return the frying pan to the heat, and fry the spiralized courgettes for 3-5min until tender and warm. Serve the courgetti topped with the meatballs and a little extra Parmesan, if you like.
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
