A classic pasta dish in Italy is sautéed Italian sausage and broccoli rabe tossed together with short pasta like penne or fusilli. I put a twist on the classic flavor combination by making ground turkey meatballs and combining them with tender rigatoni noodles, roasted cherry tomatoes and tender sautéed broccoli rabe. Topped with a sprinkling of shaved Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of quality olive oil and this weeknight pasta dish is complete. Flavorful and colorful, this pasta dish is sure to please.
Turkey meatballs filled with parsley and ricotta cheese
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Rigatoni with Broccoli Rabe & Meatballs
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. dried rigatoni pasta
- Extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Salt & Pepper, divided
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe, ends trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- For the meatballs:
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- ¼ cup ricotta cheese
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- Shaved Parmesan cheese, for serving
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the dried pasta and cook until al dente, approximately 10-12 minutes. Drain the cooked pasta and place in a large mixing bowl; drizzle with olive oil.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the cherry tomatoes on a small baking dish, drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- To make the meatballs, place the ground turkey, egg, parsley, ricotta cheese and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Season with 2 teaspoons of salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Mix together until combined. Form into 1-inch meatballs and place on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
- In a large sauté pan add 1 Tablespoon of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add in the chopped garlic and broccoli rabe; cook, stirring often for 3-5 minutes, or until the broccoli rabe is tender and wilted. In the large bowl with the cooked pasta, add the roasted cherry tomatoes, sautéed garlic and broccoli rabe and the cooked meatballs. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and another good drizzle of quality olive oil before serving.
Tagged: broccoli rabe, cherry tomatoes, ground turkey, Italian parsley, meatballs, Parmesan cheese, pasta, rapini, ricotta cheese, rigatoni, roasted tomatoes, turkey meatballs
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