Gnocchi with Tomato Cream Sauce and Turkey Meatballs

My inspiration for this dish came from a variety of sources. I used Giada's Marinara Sauce Recipe, but made some additions, I used the meatball recipe (except with turkey) from Rachel Ray's Chicken Parm Meatball Subs and I used De Cecco freeze dried gnocchi. It turned out pretty yummy. The meatballs were a bit dry. I think it was either due to using 99% fat free turkey or baking them in the oven longer than instructed because I wanted them to be a little browner on top.

This was our Valentine's Day dinner so I decided to make it more decadent by adding some half and half to the marinara sauce. When the meatballs were finished baking in the oven I added them to the sauce. I boiled the Gnocchi for 2 minutes (it cooks really fast) and added it to the sauce and meatballs too! I think over all it was a success and I would make it again with only a few minor adjustments. I really loved the Marinara sauce! I have never made my own and only would ever use the jarred variety. I'm not sure why! Making Marinara sauce is really easy, you just need to have some time for it to sit on the stove, but I hear it freezes well so I'm looking forward to having the batch that I froze with some yummy pasta in the near future:) I think next time I make meatballs I'll just suck it up and use beef...I think that will solve my dryness problem.

Here are the recipes!

Turkey Meatballs

1 1/2 pounds ground Turkey

1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)

1 large egg

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

Handful of chopped parsley leaves

Extra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place turkey in a bowl and season with grill seasoning. Add egg, half of the grated cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, and a serious drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to the bowl. Mix meat together and roll into mini balls, 1 1/2 inches across, and arrange on a nonstick cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degree F for 10 to 12 minutes or until firm and lightly golden

Giada’s Marinara Sauce (I actually froze half of it...it makes A LOT!)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 small onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

2 dried bay leaves

1/2 cup half and half

In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)