Gordon Ramsay’s turkey meatballs are lean, light and served on courgette spaghetti instead of pasta, with a quick tomato sauce simmered in 10 minutes. The meatballs use Worcestershire sauce and egg to keep the lean turkey moist and bound together. Makes 20 meatballs, serves 4, ready in about 45 minutes.
This recipe comes from Ultimate Fit Food, where Ramsay writes: “Courgetti with meatballs is filling and comforting, like a normal bowl of spaghetti, but you are upping your veg intake without compromising on flavour or texture.” It also appears on gordonramsay.com as one of his go-to healthy dinner recipes.
Turkey mince is leaner than beef, which is the point, but it also means the meatballs can dry out fast. Ramsay solves this by adding a beaten egg and Worcestershire sauce to the mix. The egg binds the loose turkey so it holds together without breadcrumbs, and the Worcestershire adds the savoury depth that turkey lacks on its own. His beef meatballs don’t need egg because the fat in the beef does the binding. Turkey has almost no fat, so the egg does that job instead.
Gordon Ramsay Turkey Meatballs
Course: DinnerCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes30
minutes320
kcal45
minutesFrom Ultimate Fit Food: lean turkey meatballs with Worcestershire sauce, browned and braised in tomato sauce, served on spiralised courgette spaghetti. A lighter take on the classic that swaps pasta for veg.
Ingredients
- For the meatballs:
500g (1 lb) lean turkey mince
1 small onion, very finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the tomato sauce:
Olive oil, for frying
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp balsamic vinegar
- For the courgette spaghetti:
4 large courgettes, trimmed
Olive oil, for frying
Grated Parmesan, to serve (optional)
Directions
- Spiralise the courgettes: Using a spiraliser, julienne peeler or mandolin, turn the courgettes into spaghetti strands. Set aside.
- Mix the meatballs: Combine the turkey mince, chopped onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, beaten egg and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Shape: With wet hands, roll the mixture into 20 meatballs. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
- Make the sauce: Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Sauté the onion for 5-6 minutes until soft, add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Stir in the tomato purée and cook 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, balsamic vinegar and seasoning. Simmer 10 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Brown and braise: In a separate pan, brown the meatballs in batches with a dash of oil, turning frequently until coloured all over. Transfer to the tomato sauce and cook for a further 10 minutes until cooked through, turning gently.
- Cook the courgetti: Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan the meatballs were browned in. Sauté the courgette spaghetti over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until soft but with a slight bite.
- Serve: Divide the courgette spaghetti between bowls and top with the meatballs and sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan if using.
FAQs
Why egg in these meatballs but not the others?
The coconut broth meatballs use milk-soaked breadcrumbs instead of egg, and Ramsay says “adding milk to the breadcrumbs means you shouldn’t need to bind with eggs.” But those are beef. Turkey mince has almost no fat, so it falls apart without a binder.
The egg holds the lean turkey together while keeping the texture light. Breadcrumbs would make them dense and stodgy. Different protein, different solution.
Why courgette spaghetti instead of pasta?
Ramsay’s tip in the book says it: “Serve with wholewheat pasta instead of courgetti if you are gearing up for a big day of exercise.” So he sees courgette as the default and pasta as the upgrade for active days.
Courgette spaghetti also absorbs the tomato sauce differently. Pasta soaks it up, courgette lets it pool around the strands. You get more sauce in every bite because the veg doesn’t absorb it the way wheat does.
Why cook the courgetti in the meatball pan?
After browning the meatballs, the pan has all the fond and fat from the frying. Ramsay sautées the courgette spaghetti in that same pan for 3-5 minutes. The courgette picks up all the meatball flavour that would otherwise get washed down the sink.
Keep the heat medium and toss gently. Overcooked courgette turns to mush and releases water, drowning the dish. You want “soft but with a slight bite.”
Why balsamic vinegar in the tomato sauce?
Half a teaspoon of balsamic adds a subtle sweetness and acidity that rounds out the tinned tomatoes. It does the same job as sugar but with more depth.
I used to skip the vinegar and couldn’t work out why my sauce tasted flat and tinny. Half a teaspoon is all it takes to balance the acid in the tomatoes.
Does this store well for meal prep?
The meatballs and sauce keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days. The courgette spaghetti doesn’t. It releases water overnight and goes soggy. Cook the courgette fresh each time, it only takes 3-5 minutes.
A roasted tomato soup makes a good swap on days when you want the meatballs without spiralising anything. The rest of his meatball recipes freeze just as well if you want variety in your weekly rotation.
