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Zucchini noodles AKA Zoodles and delicious, light meatballs with turkey, spinach, garlic and parmesan. I can’t wait to make this again!

ZOODLES WITH TURKEY AND SPINACH MEATBALLS

Patti Diamond
Zucchini noodles AKA Zoodles and delicious, light meatballs made with turkey, spinach, garlic and parmesan.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Meal Prep
Cuisine American, Italian/American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

For the meatballs

  • 1 10 ounce box frozen spinach chopped
  • 2 teaspoons garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup soft bread crumbs See gluten free note below
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

For zoodles

  • 3 medium zucchini, summer squash or a mix spiralized
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons garlic minced
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 roma tomato diced

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.
  • Defrost the spinach. Use a clean towel to wring it dry and place in a bowl. Run your kitchen scissors through it to finely chop the spinach.

To make the meatballs

  • In a bowl, mix together the ingredients for meatballs with your hands until just combined. Form into 48 (give or take a few) mini meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter.
  • Place meatballs on the foil lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
  • While the meatballs are cooking, spiralize the zucchini into zoodles and proceed with instructions below.

To cook zoodles

  • Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and butter.
  • Add the garlic and pepper flakes to the oil and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the zoodles and toss well to coat.
  • Cook until the zoodles soften slightly, tossing frequently, for about 5 to 6 minutes. You can decide how soft you want them. Example, I like mine with a little crunch but my boys prefer theirs quite soft.
  • Sprinkle with the lemon juice. Add diced, seeded tomato and toss to warm through. If you add the tomato earlier it will release its moisture and dilute the pan sauce you’ve made. If that happens it's not a big deal as it will still taste amazing.
  • Serve the meatballs on a bed of zoodles. Top with extra parmesan.

Notes

If you’re Gluten Free just replace the bread crumbs with more parmesan.
Keyword Gluten Free, Low Carb, Turkey, Vegetable
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