Linguine with Rustic Turkey "Meatballs"

Linguine with Rustic Turkey "Meatballs"

Adapted from Gourmet

1 pound ground turkey

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 a large red onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup dry, white, vermouth

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon flour

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 pound cooked linguine with 1 1/2 cups water reserved

Heat 2 tbs. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. While it's heating, break up the turkey into 1-2 inch "meatballs", the rougher the squares the more rustic the dish will look. Add to the pan, season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Cook for about 5-6 minutes turning occasionally, or until the meatballs have thoroughly browned. Remove, and place on a large plate.

Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and sautee the onions, garlic, carrot and celery until translucent and you can really smell them, about 8-10 minutes. Add the vermouth to deglaze the plan along with the red pepper flakes. When that comes to a boil, add the flour and cook for a minute before stirring in the chicken broth- this will help to thicken the sauce. Bring to a boil, then add the meatballs back to the skillet along with the lemon juice and reduce the heat to low.

After your linguine is done cooking, add it to the skillet at this stage along with enough pasta water to make a good sauce, I used around 1 1/2 cups. Sprinkle the parsely over the dish and serve with Romano cheese!