Bucatini with Turkey Meatballs

Claire from Chez Cayenne is hosting this edition of Presto Pasta Night, the long-running weekly event dedicated to all things pasta started by Ruth from Once upon a Feast.

It's been a while between pasta dishes but I'm back with the rather distinctive Bucatini.




Bucatini are described as thick spaghetti that have a hole through the centre - they are best served with tomato based sauces.

The dish I've made is a play on the old favourite, spaghetti and meatballs - I've decided to do something a bit different and make turkey meatballs!

Bucatini with Turkey Meatballs

For the meatballs
400 grams turkey mince
freshly grated parmesan
finely chopped parsley
finely chopped sage
breadcrumbs

For the sauce
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 can (400 grams) crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper, to taste
freshly grated parmesan, to serve

Make the turkey meatballs:

Mix the minced turkey with a good handful of parmesan and parsley until well combined. To get an even size I use a small ice cream scoop to portion out the mixture. Roll each portion into a ball.

Sprinkle a dish with breadcrumbs and lightly roll the meatballs through the crumbs.




Place these in the fridge while you make the sauce.

Make the sauce:

Place a little olive oil and a knob of butter into a pan - put this over a medium heat and once the butter has melted and is sizzling add in the onions, carrot and celery. Reduce the heat and cook slowly until the vegetables have softened and are just starting to colour. This should take about 15 - 20 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir it through - cook it out for a couple of minutes before adding the crushed tomatoes. Keep the pan on a simmer and allow this to cook for 15 minutes.

Cook the meatballs:

Pour a little oil in a fry-pan and place over a medium heat. When the mixture is hot add the meatballs, a few at a time, being careful not to overfill the pan. At this stage, I am looking to just colour the meatballs - they will finish cooking in the sauce. Once the meatballs have coloured, remove them to a plate and finish cooking the remainders.

Complete the sauce:

When all the meatballs have cooked add these to the sauce - stir them through well ensuring that they are well coated with the sauce. If it seems a little dry you can add a touch of water.

Let this simmer away for another 20 minutes - this will allow the meatballs to absorb all those lovely juices and flavours of the sauce and will produce a moist and tender meatball.





To serve:

Toss the cooked bucatini through the sauce and serve with a sprinkling of parmesan.