Tender turkey meatballs filled with rice then added on top of a bed of zucchini noodles. Serve with chunky vegetables, spaghetti sauce, and Parmesan. Porcupine Meatballs and Zoodles is the perfect dinner for when you are craving a different kind of Italian dish.
You know….I love carbs. I L-O-V-E them. Bread! Pasta! YUM! But I honestly don’t love them as much as I love zucchini. Oh, zucchini! Such a diverse veggie whether I fry it, put it in some muffins or making zoodles like these there are so many ways to make it delicious. How about adding one of my families favorites to it? Yes! So now we have a new recipe to add to our dinner routine, Porcupine Meatballs and Zoodles.
It’s funny to think that this was one of the very first recipes that I put on my blog. Looking back almost 8 months in I have realized how far I’ve come with my photos so I’m going through and giving them a fresher look. And this one needed it….badly! While the pictures were bad, I will give myself a little credit in the fact that I had basically 0.2% experience in photography. So on to the recipe that got this all started only with better pictures.
How to make Porcupine Meatballs and Zoodles:
First, let’s start off with the meatballs. You can use any beef flavor rice you like or even shake it up with different flavors but I always stick to the beef flavored as I find it gives the best taste.
Cook the rice according to package directions.
Once the rice has cooled add it to your turkey and egg. Toast the bread and crush up into the meat mixture. Form into meatballs and put onto a greased baking sheet.
At this time preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare your ‘zoodles’ using a spiralizer.
Chop onions, garlic, green peppers. Add all of it into a bowl then top with olive oil.
Put onto another baking sheet then put both the meatballs and the zoodles now go into the oven for 35 minutes.
In the last 5 minutes of the meatballs and zoodles cooking heat up the spaghetti sauce.
Assemble this beautiful ‘pasta’ by taking all the vegetables and zoodles, top with meatballs then finally pour sauce over the top of your meatballs.
Sprinkle with Parmesan.
Tips for making Porcupine Meatballs and Zoodles:
- Let the rice completely cool before adding to the meatball mixture. Not only could you burn your hands when mixing the meatballs together it could end up cooking the eggs.
And here you are….
From our home in the Bottom Left of the Mitten to yours ~ Enjoy!

Porcupine Meatballs and Zoodles
Ingredients
Porcupine Meatballs
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 pkg beef flavored rice cooked to package directions
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jar spaghettic sauce
- 1 egg
- 2 pieces bread toasted
Zoodles
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- Parmesan for sprinkling
Instructions
Porcupine Meatballs
- Cook the rice according to package directions then…...and this is *Important*…let it cool!
- Once it’s cooled add it to your turkey, and egg. Toast the bread and crush up into the meat mixture. Form into meatballs and put onto greased baking sheet.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree.
Zoodles
- Prepare zucchini 'zoodles' using a spirilizer. Chop onions, garlic, green peppers. Add all of it into a bowl then top with olive oil. Put onto another baking sheet.
- Both the meatballs and the zoodles now go into the oven for 35 minutes.
- In the last 5 minutes of the meatballs and zoodles cooking heat up the spaghetti sauce to pour over the top of your meatballs and zoodles.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan. Enjoy!
Notes
- Let the rice completely cool before adding to the meatball mixture. Not only could you burn your hands when mixing the meatballs together it could end up cooking the eggs.
This recipe has been updated with photos & recipe.
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