Greek Inspired Zucchini Pasta – Feta Turkey Meatballs!

I’ve been meaning to make a kale pesto for a long time. I’m a huge...

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I’ve been meaning to make a kale pesto for a long time. I’m a huge lover of kale – I put it in everything: salads, omelettes, juices, smoothies and pastas, of course. I’ve even heard that kale pesto is the new basil pesto. Well, I wouldn’t go that far, but kale pesto is definitely a light, refreshing way to enjoy pasta – or anything, for that matter.

I’m leaving for Greece next Friday (eeeee!!!), so in mental preparation for that trip, I decided to add in some feta to the meatball mix. I’m so glad I did, it creates a salty deliciousness and a bit of moisture, since I opted not to use an egg (let’s try to keep our cholesterols at bay, alright?)

OK OK, I’ll tell you all about my trip. I’m flying to Athens and immediately hopping on another flight to Santorini, spending a few nights there and then taking a boat to Mykonos for a couple nights. All with my main man Lu, of course. I’m super stoked and can’t wait to come back with plenty of Mediterranean inspiration for Inspiralized! I’m looking forward to reading Will Write for Food, the ocean, the food, the Greek island views, the people, the weather, the culture, exploring a new place and having a glass of wine while looking out over an amazing sunset.

Are you still awake? Good! Let’s cook…. keep in mind with the kale pesto that you should adjust the taste according to your preference (I find some people find that kale tastes a bit “off.”) Follow the ingredients, taste and then add more of something to meet your tastebuds’ delight!

 

Greek Inspired Zucchini Pasta – Feta Turkey Meatballs!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes
Total Time 33 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • For the meatballs and pasta
  • 2 zucchinis Blade C
  • 1 shallot minced
  • 1/2 piece of whole wheat bread for breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 lb ground turkey 93% lean
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 2 tablespoons of warm water
  • For the kale pesto
  • 3 cups of chopped kale
  • 3 tbsp pine nuts
  • 1 clove of garlic minced
  • 1.5 tbsp of lemon juice from a fresh lemon
  • 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
  • 8 cranks of a sea salt grinder
  • 6 cranks of a peppercorn grinder
  • 3-4 tbsp olive oil or more, if you like it creamier
  • 3 tbsp water

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside. Add the bread to the food processor and pulse to make breadcrumbs. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the shallots, water, breadcrumbs, garlic, turkey, oregano, parsley, feta, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix with your fingers thoroughly. Grab a small handful of mixture and mold it in your hands into a golfball-sized meatball. Add to the baking sheet. Continue until all of the mixture is used, makes about six.
  • Add the meatballs to the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, take out and flip the meatballs over. Cook for another 10-12 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.
  • While meatballs are cooking, combine all of the ingredients for the pesto into a food processor and pulse until creamy.
  • Pour the kale pesto on top of the zucchini noodles and mix thoroughly to combine. Divide the zucchini pasta onto the plates. When the meatballs are ready, add to the pasta and enjoy!

Instructions with Pictures

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside. Add the bread to the food processor and pulse to make breadcrumbs. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add the shallots, water, breadcrumbs, garlic, turkey, oregano, parsley, feta, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix with your fingers thoroughly. Grab a small handful of mixture and mold it in your hands into a golfball-sized meatball. Add to the baking sheet. Continue until all of the mixture is used, makes about six.

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Add the meatballs to the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, take out and flip the meatballs over. Cook for another 10-12 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. This is what they’ll look like after 10 minutes, before the flip:

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While meatballs are cooking, combine all of the ingredients for the pesto into a food processor and pulse until creamy.

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Pour the kale pesto on top of the zucchini noodles and mix thoroughly to combine. Divide the zucchini pasta onto the plates. When the meatballs are ready, add to the pasta and enjoy!

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with love, Ali

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comments

  • This recipe was amazing thank you. I used coconut flour and an egg to bind instead of the bread and I made a raw tomatoe sauce ( I LOVE kale btw and eat it daily) but I wanted to try something different. I did Roma tomatoes,(alot of) fresh basil, honey, salt, pepper and a decent splashing of olive oil. I totally recommend you try it!
    • Mmm! I definitely will, thanks for the suggestions. Love the feedback!
  • This recipe looks delicious! Just received my Spiralizer in the mail this weekend and I'm going to make this dish tonight for dinner - can't wait! :) Just one question....do I need to cook the zucchini noodles or are they to be served raw? This is my first time making zucchini noodles :-o Thanks!
    • Laura - how exciting! Just follow the recipe, it tells you if you should cook them or not. It's totally a preference and dependent on what you're making. For example, a cold pesto sauce doesn't need cooked noodles. Good luck!
      • Actually, the recipe doesn't say squat about cooking or not cooking the zucchini pasta. Would be nice if some directions were added to suggest what you should do if you want it cooked.
        • Well, since the recipe doesn't say to cook them, they're not cooked - they're raw. Hope that helps.
  • So do you mean for this to be a cold summer dish? What are the repercussions of heating everything?
    • The zucchini noodles are raw, yes, but if you'd like to heat them up, just toss them in a skillet for 2-3 minutes with the pesto!