Wishing you a cozy weekend

Hooray - it's Friday! I don't know about you, but I'm so ready for le weekend.

My weekend plans include some yoga, a run, working on some writing projects, cleaning + organizing while listening to Christmas tunes, a dinner date with a friend, and some holiday baking (I've been obsessing over recipes at Smitten Kitchen, thanks to this gal's recommendation!).

Oh, and on Sunday, I'm planning to cook one of my favorite meals ever: turkey meatballs. With the wintry weather settling in, it seems like a good time to make a hearty and comforting dish.

These meatballs are just so delicious, especially served with some marinara sauce over linguine. Sometimes, if I'm feeling ambitious, I'll make my own marinara sauce, but there are so many tasty and high-quality varieties available these days that, more often than not, I will just pick up a jar from the store. I highly recommend Newman's Own Sockarooni Sauce with this dish. In addition to having a fabulous name, the sauce is quite "herby" to the point of being almost tangy, and pairs really well with the savory richness of the meatballs. We typically use fresh handmade pasta from Whole Foods's pasta bar, but any kind of boxed linguine works fine.

The best turkey meatballs ever (Serves 4, or 2 plus lots of yummy leftovers!)

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 lb organic ground turkey (I usually do half dark meat, half white meat)

1 small onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 large egg

1/4 cup dried Italian bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 tbsp. chopped oregano

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. greshly ground black pepper

Plus

1 lb linguine, cooked and drained

1 24-oz jar of your favorite marinara sauce

Preparation

Turn on the broiler. Add the turkey, onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to a large bowl and blend. Shape the turkey mixture into 1 1/2-inch-diameter meatballs. Place meatballs on a large baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray and put under the broiler until you can see a nice golden crust on the top. At that point, remove them from under the broiler and set them aside.

Heat the marinara sauce in a medium-sized sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the sauce is hot and bubbly, add the meatballs to the pan and cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Using large plates or bowls, spoon the sauce and meatballs over the pasta, and finish with a sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Pairs well with a glass of red wine, cozy slippers, and a roaring fireplace.

Image via Gross and Daley Photo.