Recipes from 30 Minute Meals Group

We had a great time at the 30-Minute Meals Group on Tuesday. Here are the two recipes that were used to create a super yummy meal:

Marinara Sauce

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 medium onion, chopped
2 28 oz. cans or 2 quart jars plum tomatoes
1 12 oz. can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil

Heat oil and cook onion until tender; add garlic and cook one minute more.
Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, oregano, sugar and dried basil. If using fresh basil add it in the last minute of simmering. Heat to boiling, stirring to break up tomatoes. Reudce heat to low; partially cover pan and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Can be processed in a food processor for a smooth sauce to use on pizza. Freeze in pint or quart jars.

Penne with Turkey Meatballs (serves 4-6) recipe by Giarda De Laurentiis

1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons whole milk (Corrie used lower fat and it turned out great)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup Romano cheese
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat (look for it in the freezer section)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 cups tomato sauce (use the recipe above or 2 jars of store bought sauce)
1 pound dried penne pasta

In a large bowl add bread crumbs and milk and mix well until combined. Mix in eggs and 1/2 cup of the Romano cheese and mix well. Add turkey and gently combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into golf-size balls.

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. When almost smoking, add meatballs and without moving or turning the meat, allow it to brown for about 3 minutes. Turn meatballs and brown other side. Continue to cook until all sides are golden brown, about 8 minutes total. Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Lower heat and allow meatballs to simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and keep warm on stove. Be careful not to overhandle the meatballs since they are soft and fragile.

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse pasta with water since you want to retain the pasta's natural starches so that the sauce will cling to the penne.

Remove meatballs from sauce and place in a serving bowl. Pour some tomato sauce over the meatballs, but leave about 1 cup of sauce in skillet. Place the cooked penne into the skillet with the remaining sauce and toss well. Pour sauced pasta into a large serving bowl. Serve alongside the meatballs.

Enjoy!