It's getting warm here in Arizona. I think we are in it for the next 3 to 4 months. What a great blessing the air-conditioner is this time of year. I will endure the hot summer because I know that from October through May we get to enjoy pretty nice weather. This time of year when it gets hot I tend to crave salad's. In fact, I've had a salad for the past 3 days in a row. It's very hard for me to eat heavy and hot things, even in the air-conditioning. I had a package of ground turkey in the fridge that needed to be used so I decided to make my favorite meatball recipe. I wasn't really craving them and I would have rather had another nice big salad but no lettuce could be found in the house. I have to say though they really hit the spot and I'm glad I made them after all. These are so quick and easy to make. I use ground turkey but you could use ground sirloin or hamburger meat if you prefer. When we were in California last week I stocked up on my favorite marinara sauce from Trader Joe's.

I love this stuff so much that I could just eat it with a spoon. Use homemade if you prefer. I hope everyone had a wonderful Monday and a great rest of the week. Enjoy!

Marinara Turkey Meatballs with Pasta

1 lb ground turkey
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 egg
3/4 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
26 oz tomato basil marinara sauce or homemade
Dried pasta noodles of your choice (I used whole wheat)

Heat oven to 425 F.

In a bowl combine turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, dried basil, garlic salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese; mix until just combined. Shape into 1 inch sized meat balls and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil and cook noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine the marinara and the cooked meatballs. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and turn heat to low. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve meatballs and marinara over noodles and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

This post is linked to Good Cheap Eats