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Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

Spaghetti topped with turkey meatballs in a tomato, carrot, onion, garlic, basil, and hot pepper flakes sauce.

By Health Canada · From Canada's Food Guide · 12 ingredients
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Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

Why it works: Parsley and carrot match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,053 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓

Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

Serves 6
Oven180°C (350°F)
Time10 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the meatballs

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

  2. In a large bowl, combine turkey, breadcrumbs, 45 mL (3 tbsp) of the cheese, parsley and pepper. Using a 15 mL (1 tbsp) measuring spoon, roll the turkey mixture into meatballs and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining mixture. Makes 24 meatballs. Bake for 10 minutes. Use a digital food thermometer to check that meatballs have reached an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F). Remove from oven.

Make the sauce and cook

  1. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring pureed tomatoes, carrot, onion, garlic, basil and hot pepper flakes to a simmer. Add meatballs; cover saucepan slightly and simmer for about 30 minutes or until thickened.

  2. In a pot of boiling water, cook spaghetti for about 10 minutes or until tender but firm. Drain well and return to pot. Toss with sauce and meatballs until well coated. Sprinkle with remaining cheese to serve.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

839Calories
58 gProtein
13 gFat
121 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Chicken100g cooked165
Parmesan Cheese1 oz (28g)110
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Carrot1 medium (61g)25
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1
Basil5 leaves fresh (2.5g)1
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

By Health Canada. Recipe from Canada's Food Guide.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Parsley + carrottop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together8,053 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  2. Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together34,122 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

  3. Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together17,451 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

  4. Carrot + clovetop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together5,873 recipes

    Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).

  5. Pepper + carrottop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together14,555 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Lean ground turkey
Forms the meatballs and provides the main protein structure once cooked through.
Seasoned whole grain breadcrumbs
Absorb moisture and help the meatballs hold together and stay tender.
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Adds savory, salty flavour and some binding to the meatball mixture.
Pureed tomatoes
Form the body of the sauce, adding acidity and moisture that thickens as it simmers.
Onion
Adds sweetness and aromatic depth to the sauce as it softens.
Whole grain spaghetti
Provides the starchy base that the sauce and meatballs cling to.

The step that matters

Cooking the meatballs to 74°C (165°F). Lean turkey dries out quickly and can be undercooked in the centre. Checking the internal temperature confirms it is safely cooked without overbaking it into dryness.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (turkey, parmesan cheese, parsley, pepper, tomato, carrot, clove):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Spinachfits better
  3. Lettucefits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against turkey, parmesan cheese, parsley, pepper, tomato, carrot, clove. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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