Recipe - Baked Penne With Turkey Meatballs

FOR MEATBALLS
1 pound Ground turkey
1 lg Garlic clove; minced
Three fourths cup Fresh bread crumbs
One half cup Finely chopped onion
3 tablespoon Pine nuts; toasted, cooled,
and chopped
One half cup Minced fresh parsley leaves
1 lg Egg; beaten lightly
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Black pepper
4 tablespoon Olive oil
1 pound Penne
1 One half cup Coarsely grated mozzarella
cheese; (about 6 ounces)
1 cup Freshly grated romano
cheese; (about 3 ounces)
6 cup Tomato sauce
1 Container; (15 oz) ricotta
cheese

Make meatballs:

In a bowl, stir together well turkey, garlic, bread crumbs, onion, pine
nuts, parsley, egg, salt, and pepper and form into meatballs about 1inch
in diameter. In a large heavy skillet heat 2 tablespoons oil over
moderately heat heat until hot but not smoking and cook half of meatballs,
shaking skillet, until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes.
Transfer meatballs to paper towels to drain and brown remaining meatballs
in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in same manner.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and oil a 3 to 4 quart gratin dish or other
shallow baking dish.

In a kettle of salted boiling water cook pasta until just al dente, about 8
minutes, and drain well. In a small bowl toss together mozzarella and
Romano. Spoon about 1 One half cups tomato sauce and half of meatballs into
prepared dish and spoon half of pasta on top. Spread half remaining sauce
and half cheese mixture over pasta. Top with remaining meatballs and drop
dollops of ricotta over meatballs. Spread remaining pasta over ricotta and
top with remaining sauce and remaining cheese mixture. Bake penne in middle
of oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden, and let stand 10 minutes before
serving.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

NOTES : Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

Recipe by: Cooking Live Show #CL9051

Posted to MCRecipe Digest by "Angele and Jon Freeman"
jfreeman@comteck.com on Feb 7, 1998