Turkey Meatballs with Penne

Nothing like the looming dread of finals to inspire me to throw myself into the kitchen... I made these meatballs in the name of “preparation” but it may have actually been “procrastination.”  We will go with the first scenario for now though.  The Food & Wine recipe makes enough for 8-10 people and I made the WHOLE batch (for just me and Addison).  I admit it was quite a production- but now we have a huge ziplock of frozen turkey meatballs in the freezer!  Meatball subs during finals anyone?  Cooking might be the most productive way to procrastinate.


TURKEY MEATBALLS WITH PENNE
serves 8-10
from Food & Wine
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4 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
2 cups panko
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced
1 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese, plus more for serving
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 pounds ground turkey
1 pound hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
Two 24-ounce jars of tomato sauce (homemade or store bought)
2 pounds dried penne

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk. Stir in the panko, garlic, oregano, 1 cup of the pecorino, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Add the red pepper, ground turkey, and turkey sausage and gently knead to combine.
Form 1 ½ inch meatballs and place them on the baking sheets.  Bake for about 40 minutes, shifting the pans halfway through baking, until the meatballs are cooked through.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water.  Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.  Toss with the tomato sauce and serve with meatballs.  Serve with additional cheese.