Baked Turkey Meatballs
origin: adapted from gourmet via smitten kitchen
yield: serves 4, or more as appetizers or sliders
prep time: 10 minutes
cooking time: 15 to 20 minutes
ingredients:
3 slices italian bread, torn into small bits (1 cup)
1/3 cup milk
3 oz. sliced pancetta, finely chopped (you can swap in canadian bacon if you can’t find pancetta)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large egg
1 lb. ground turkey
2 tbsp. tomato paste, divided*
3 tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
directions:
preheat oven to 400°f with a rack in the upper third of the oven. soak bread in milk in a small bowl until softened, about four minutes.
cook pancetta, onion, and garlic in one tablespoon oil with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large skillet over medium heat until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. cool slightly.
squeeze bread to remove excess milk, then discard milk. lightly beat egg in
a large bowl, then combine with turkey, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, pancetta mixture, bread, and parsley. form 12 meatballs and arrange in another 4-sided sheet pan (i used a 9×13 roasting dish).
stir together remaining tablespoons of tomato paste and oil and brush over meatballs (the paste/oil does not mix in any cohesive manner, but just smoosh it on and run with it) , then bake in upper third of oven until meatballs are just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.