Elegant & Easy Florentine Meatballs Recipe
A recipe for ‘Florentine’ style meatballs, which feature ground turkey mixed with spinach, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese. The meatballs are formed into large balls and roasted in the oven until cooked through. They are served topped with a rich and creamy béchamel-style sauce made with a roux, milk, chicken stock, and melted provolone or a blend of Italian cheeses, seasoned with a hint of nutmeg.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Roasting, Making a Sauce
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients
- 1 box frozen spinach, defrosted
- 1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 3/4 cups milk, divided
- 3/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Coarse salt and black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 (10-ounce) sack shredded provolone or blend of Italian cheeses
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Prepare the Meatballs: Squeeze the defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel to wring out as much liquid as possible.
- In a large bowl, place the ground turkey. Add the dry spinach, all but 3 tablespoons of the chopped onion, all of the chopped garlic, the egg, about 1/4 cup of the milk, the bread crumbs, and the grated Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Mix the ingredients well and form the mixture into 12 large meatballs.
- Arrange the meatballs on a nonstick cookie sheet and drizzle them with extra-virgin olive oil.
- Roast for 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Make the Cheese Sauce: While the meatballs are roasting, heat a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and the 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Once the butter is melted, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of finely chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute to create a roux.
- Gradually whisk in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of milk and the 1 cup of chicken stock. Bring the liquid to a boil, then stir in the shredded provolone or Italian cheese blend.
- Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting to keep warm.
- Serve: Place 3 roasted meatballs on each dinner plate and top with the warm cheese sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Notes
- It is very important to wring the defrosted spinach very dry to prevent the meatballs from being watery.
- The cheese sauce starts with a classic roux (butter and flour) which acts as a thickener.
- The meatballs are roasted in the oven, which is an easier and less messy alternative to pan-frying.