Pumpkin Turkey Meatballs with Harissa Pumpkin Pasta
Juicy, lightly spicy turkey meatballs with pumpkin mixed right in, served with pasta in a creamy, dairy-free harissa pumpkin sauce. This easy dinner is ready in about 30 minutes, and you can add olive eyes for a Halloween spin!
Made with pumpkin, harissa, and almond meal, these Pumpkin Turkey Meatballs are an easy, healthy, delicious dinner. The pumpkin puree keeps the lean ground turkey juicy, and the harissa adds so much flavor.
This is totally optional, but I wanted to make these a bit spooky, so I pushed a slice of pimento-stuffed green olives into a few, for a Halloween spin. Then I added the turkey meatballs to some low-carb pasta that had been tossed with a simple, dairy-free harissa pumpkin sauce. This recipe made enough for dinner for two, and my guy took the leftovers for lunch a couple of days after.
A Quick Glance at these Pumpkin Turkey Meatballs with Harissa Pumpkin Pasta
- Tender, juicy, with fall flavors. The pumpkin adds moisture and a hint of flavor that balances the harissa well, and the almond meal gives the meatballs a lovely tender texture.
- An easy meal. Mix, form, sauté, and rest. There’s no oven, baking sheet, or breadcrumbs needed.
- Dairy-free, with coconut milk, and gluten-free if you use gluten-free pasta.
- Flexible and customizable. You can serve them with pasta, over rice, or on top of a salad. You can also press a sliced olive with pimento into each meatball for a pair of spooky eyeballs.
Ingredients
Meatballs Ingredients
- Lean ground turkey: When I make turkey meatballs, like these zata’ar ones, I usually use 85% lean ground turkey as turkey can dry out quickly. However, as I use pumpkin in these, I opted for the 93% lean ground turkey)
- Harissa: Harissa does tend to differ in flavor/ingredients depending on the brand and region. I used this harissa, which can be found at most grocery stores as well as on Amazon.
- Salt and black pepper
- Pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. We will use just a quarter cup pumpkin puree in the meatballs and some more in the sauce. The rest can be saved in an airtight container in the fridge or frozen in a freezer-safe bag.
- Almond meal: I like the texture and flavor almond meal imparts. It also keeps these gluten-free. However, if you do not have any on hand, this can be swapped with bread crumbs.
- Fresh cilantro: Chop up enough to measure roughly a tbsp or 2. Parsley would work too.
- Olive oil, for sautéing
- Optional: a few olives with pimento, sliced, for Halloween “eyeballs.”
Harissa pumpkin sauce and pasta
- Pure pumpkin puree
- Coconut milk: full-fat coconut milk will make the sauce luxuriously creamy, but lite coconut milk can also be used.
- Harissa
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pasta of your choice, boiled according to package directions
Instructions
- Mix. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, harissa, salt, pepper, pumpkin, almond meal, and chopped cilantro. Mix well with your hands until everything is evenly combined.
- Form. Grab a large spoon and form tablespoons of the mixture into balls. You can also use a cookie scoop for more even balls. If you’re making the Halloween version, press an olive slice into each one.
- Sauté. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add the meatballs, cover, and sauté for 3 minutes. Flip them and sauté, covered, for another 4 minutes.
- Rest. Take the skillet off the heat and let the meatballs sit, covered, for 10 minutes. This finishes the cooking gently and keeps them juicy.
- Boil the pasta in water or broth, over medium heat while the meatballs rest. Reserve just a couple tablespoons of the pasta water to add to the finished dish.
- Make the sauce. While the pasta boils, stir together the pumpkin, coconut milk, and harissa until smooth. If the coconut milk is very thick, microwave this mixture for 20-30 seconds to thin it. Then add a pinch of salt and pepper and taste it. If needed, add a couple more pinches more of salt, and pepper and stir well.
- Mix and serve. Reserve a couple of spoonfuls of the pasta and mix the rest with the warm pasta, add the meatballs, and drizzle a little more sauce on top.
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Tips for the best meatballs
- Check the temperature. Turkey is safe at an internal temperature of 165°Fahrenheit. If you’re unsure, cut one open or use a thermometer.
- Don’t skip the rest. It makes a real difference to how juicy they are.
- Adjust the heat. Start with 2 tsp harissa in the meatballs and add more to the sauce if you like spice. Brands vary a lot in heat and flavor.
- Use plain pure pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling is sweetened and spiced, and it will change the flavor.
Variations
About a tablespoon of finely chopped onion and a couple of diced cloves garlic can be added to the turkey meatballs for added flavor.
If you don’t have harissa, it can be replaced with the following spices: 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. If not using fresh onion and garlic, then also add 1/4 teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder with the swapped spices.
For a meal with a higher fiber content, serve the turkey pumpkin meatballs with some whole wheat spaghetti, a bean salad, and/or roasted vegetables.
If you have a spiralizer, serve them with some zucchini noodles (AKA zoodles) and drizzle the sauce on top.
Storage
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a pan or the microwave. I have not frozen these, so I am not sure how well they freeze.
FAQs
Yes! Ground chicken works well, and the cook time is about the same.
You can. Bake at 375°F for about 20–25 minutes, until cooked through.
Yes. The creaminess comes from coconut milk.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I do! If you make them, tag @SavorySpin or use #savoryspin so I can see your creation.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground turkey, 93% lean
- 2 tsp harissa
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 3 tbsp olive oil for sautéing
- Optional: 3 olives with pimento, sliced, for Halloween “eyeballs”
For the harissa pumpkin sauce and pasta
- 3 tsp pure pumpkin puree
- 3 tsp coconut milk
- 1 tsp harissa
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pasta of your choice (enough for 3 servings) boiled according to package directions
Instructions
Make the Turkey Meatballs
- In a large bowl, combine the turkey, harissa, salt, pepper, pumpkin, almond meal, and chopped cilantro. Mix well with your hands until everything is evenly combined.
- Form spoonfuls of the mixture into balls. If you’re making the Halloween version, press an olive slice into each one.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the meatballs, cover, and sauté for 3 minutes. Flip them and sauté, covered, for another 4 minutes.
- Take the skillet off the heat and let the meatballs sit, covered, for 10 minutes. This finishes the cooking gently and keeps them juicy.
Make the Harissa Pumpkin Sauce and Pasta
- Boil the pasta in water over medium heat while the meatballs rest. Reserve just a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water to add to the finished dish.
- While the pasta boils, stir together the pumpkin, coconut milk, and harissa until smooth. If the coconut milk is very thick, microwave this mixture for 20-30 seconds to thin it. Then add a pinch of salt and pepper and taste it. If needed, add a couple more pinches more of salt, and pepper and stir well.
- Reserve a couple of spoonfuls of the pasta sauce and mix the rest with the warm pasta; add the meatballs and the reserved pasta water. Drizzle a little more sauce on top and garnish with a bit of cilantro.
Video
Notes
- Check the temperature. Turkey is safe at an internal temperature of 165°Fahrenheit. If you’re unsure, cut one open or use a thermometer.
- Don’t skip the rest. It makes a real difference to how juicy they are.
- Adjust the heat. Start with 2 tsp harissa in the meatballs and add more to the sauce if you like spice. Brands vary a lot in heat and flavor.
- Use plain pure pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling is sweetened and spiced, and it will change the flavor.
