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a classic that works

Whole wheat pasta with turkey meatballs and homemade tomato sauce

An everyday dish for 2, ready in 25 minutes, around $2.43 a serving. People actually plan it with Popotam, and it's in season in October.

25mintotal
≈ $2.43a serving
648kcalper serving
36gof protein
In season in OctoberFreezes well
Let's cook
Whole wheat pasta with turkey meatballs and homemade tomato sauce, a serving idea
AI-generated image · Serving idea
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Step-by-step recipe

check things off as you go

  1. Prep the onion and garlic

    Peel the onion and garlic, then finely chop the onion and the garlic separately. Put the water on to boil in the large saucepan with a pinch of salt.

  2. Shape the meatballs

    In the bowl, mix the ground turkey with half of the chopped onion, the salt and the pepper. Shape about 12 small meatballs with wet hands.

    Tip · Wet your hands before rolling the meat, so the meatballs don't stick and keep a nice even shape.

  3. Brown the meatballs

    Heat half of the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides, turning them gently. Then take them out of the skillet.

  4. Cook the pasta

    Drop the whole wheat pasta into the boiling water and cook for the time on the package, usually 10 to 11 minutes. Drain it, saving a small glass of pasta water.

  5. Make the tomato sauce

    In the same skillet, add the rest of the oil and the rest of the onion over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, the peeled tomatoes crushed with the spoon, the basil, salt and pepper.

  6. Finish cooking the meatballs

    Put the meatballs back in the sauce, cover and let them simmer over low heat. They should be cooked all the way through, with no pink, to at least 70 °C.

    Tip · Cut a meatball in half to check: the inside should be evenly cooked, with no pink.

  7. Toss and serve

    Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss. Loosen with a little pasta water if the sauce is too thick, then serve right away.

And there you go, it's readyCheck off every step to celebrate.

The questions you're asking

short answers, numbers you can check

How many calories in a serving?

One serving has about 648 kcal. 51% comes from carbs, 22% from protein and 23% from fat.

82 gCarbs
36 gProtein
16 gFat
Per serving (the dish for 2, divided by 2)
Energy648 kcal
Protein36.3 g
Carbs82 g
of which sugars8.8 g
Fat16.4 g
of which saturated fat3.8 g
Fiber12.2 g
Salt1.9 g

Worked out ingredient by ingredient with the ANSES Ciqual 2025 table, never written by an AI. It's an estimate: veggie sizes and brands make the numbers vary.

How much does it cost?

About $2.43 a serving, adding up the average prices of the ingredients you need to buy.

≈ $4.86for 2 people
≈ $2.43a serving

Pantry salt, oil and spices aren't counted. Your store and your brands will move the total, but the ballpark is right.

How long does it keep?

2 days in the fridge, in a closed container, once cooled within two hours. And it freezes really well.

2 daysin the fridge
Very wellin the freezer, thaw it in the fridge the day before

Times Popotam uses for meal prep, based on ANSES guidance, rounded down. The details: how long cooked dishes keep.

and the rest of the week?

Popotam plans your whole week

Lunch and dinner, with dishes like this one, based on your tastes, your time and your budget. The grocery list is sorted by aisle. Free, no account.

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whole wheat pasta, ground turkey, canned whole peeled tomatoes…