Harissa Turkey Meatballs & Tomato Sauce with Fregola Sarda Pasta & Zucchini

Harissa Turkey Meatballs & Tomato Sauce

with Fregola Sarda Pasta & Zucchini

35 MIN
4 Servings
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From the Test Kitchen

In this flavorful dish, harissa and za’atar-spiced meatballs and an aromatic tomato sauce come together over a bed of fregola sarda—finished with briny olives, tangy crème fraîche, and zesty lemon purée.
13 green SmartPoints® per serving
13 blue SmartPoints® per serving
13 purple SmartPoints® per serving
To learn more about WW and SmartPoints® visit ww.com

Hey, Chef! Try these WW pro-tips: Skip adding salt during prep and cooking, and see nutrition info for sodium as packaged. Counting SmartPoints? Choose nonstick cooking spray (0 SmartPoints) instead of olive oil (1 SmartPoint per teaspoon) to coat your pan before heating.
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  • Nutrition
    PER SERVING
  • Calories
    610 Cals (est.)
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fresh
ingredients
Harissa Turkey Meatballs & Tomato Sauce with Fregola Sarda Pasta & Zucchini
Title
  • 18 oz Ground Turkey
  • 1¼ cups Fregola Sarda Pasta
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 2 Zucchini
  • ½ lb Grape Tomatoes
  • 1 8-Oz Can Tomato Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Red Harissa Paste
  • ¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 1 oz Castelvetrano Olives
  • 1 tsp Preserved Lemon Purée
  • 2 Tbsps Crème Fraîche
  • 1 Tbsp Za'atar Seasoning (Ground Sumac, Sesame Seeds, Salt, Ground Thyme, Whole Dried Oregano & Crushed Aleppo Pepper)
step-by-step
instructions
Cook Along Triangle Created with Sketch.
Prepare the ingredients
1 Prepare the ingredients

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve the zucchini lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Halve the tomatoes. Pit and roughly chop the olives. 

Form & bake the meatballs
2 Form & bake the meatballs

Line a sheet pan with foil. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, breadcrumbs, harissa paste, and half the za’atar; season with salt and pepper. Gently mix to combine. Shape the mixture into 16 tightly packed meatballs. Transfer to the sheet pan and arrange in an even layer. Bake 11 to 13 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.* Remove from the oven. 

*An instant-read thermometer should register 165°F.

Cook the pasta
3 Cook the pasta

Meanwhile, place the pasta in a strainer and thoroughly rinse under water to remove any excess starch. Transfer to the pot of boiling water and cook, uncovered, 7 to 8 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Cover to keep warm. 

Cook the vegetables & make the sauce
4 Cook the vegetables & make the sauce

Meanwhile, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced zucchini in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the chopped garlic and halved tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the tomato sauce (carefully, as the liquid may splatter), and 1/4 cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened. Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. 

Finish the pasta & serve your dish
5 Finish the pasta & serve your dish

To the pot of cooked pasta, add the lemon purée, crème fraîche, chopped olives, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir to thoroughly combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished pasta topped with the baked meatballs and cooked vegetables and sauce. Garnish with as much of the remaining za’atar as you’d like (you may have extra). Enjoy!

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Harissa Turkey Meatballs & Tomato Sauce

Prepare the ingredients
1 Prepare the ingredients

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve the zucchini lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Halve the tomatoes. Pit and roughly chop the olives. 

2 Form & bake the meatballs

Line a sheet pan with foil. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, breadcrumbs, harissa paste, and half the za’atar; season with salt and pepper. Gently mix to combine. Shape the mixture into 16 tightly packed meatballs. Transfer to the sheet pan and arrange in an even layer. Bake 11 to 13 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.* Remove from the oven. 

*An instant-read thermometer should register 165°F.

Form & bake the meatballs
Cook the pasta
3 Cook the pasta

Meanwhile, place the pasta in a strainer and thoroughly rinse under water to remove any excess starch. Transfer to the pot of boiling water and cook, uncovered, 7 to 8 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Cover to keep warm. 

4 Cook the vegetables & make the sauce

Meanwhile, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced zucchini in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the chopped garlic and halved tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the tomato sauce (carefully, as the liquid may splatter), and 1/4 cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened. Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. 

Cook the vegetables & make the sauce
Finish the pasta & serve your dish
5 Finish the pasta & serve your dish

To the pot of cooked pasta, add the lemon purée, crème fraîche, chopped olives, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir to thoroughly combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished pasta topped with the baked meatballs and cooked vegetables and sauce. Garnish with as much of the remaining za’atar as you’d like (you may have extra). Enjoy!

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