Easy Pesto Meatballs with Zucchini and Orzo

Sometimes I nail recipe ideas right away and others take time… this is one that took time 😂 After making Ambitious Kitchen’s Firecracker Meatballs almost every week for MONTHS (seriously, I’m not exaggerating – it’s the best recipe), I told Adam that I really wanted to make some sort of Italian version. I’d been playing around with pesto meatballs anyway so I figured I could do something with that. And use orzo instead of rice! Woo!

I thought I did a good job the first time I tested this idea out – but Adam’s review was basically “it’s fine, but I wish you made the other version.” Haha cool cool. So I went back to the drawing board and added some spicy zucchini and amped up the orzo by cooking it in broth + butter, lemon, and white wine. Needless to say, this version finally won Adam over… just in time for Valentine’s Day!

This pesto meatballs and orzo recipe feels really cozy and comforting, but I love that it doesn’t require any obscure ingredients, and it’s ready in just 40 minutes. Hello weeknight winner 🙂

Pesto Meatballs with Zucchini and Orzo Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup pesto
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup uncooked orzo
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 cup water

Instructions

1. Combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, pesto, parmesan and egg in a bowl. Combine with your hands in form into meatballs about the size of a golf ball. 
2. Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs once the oil is hot and cook until each side is browned, about 3 minutes per side.
3. Transfer the meatballs to a plate.
4. Add butter to that same pan. Once melted, add red pepper flakes. (You can omit this if you don’t like spice!)
5. Stir in the thinly sliced zucchini and cook for about a minute, then add your minced garlic.
6. Add white wine and lemon juice and cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Mix in your orzo, stirring to coat every piece of pasta.
8. Then add broth and water. When you start to see a low simmer, nestle the meatballs back in.
9. Cover the pan and cook for 8 minutes.
10. Uncover and check to make sure your orzo is al dente and your meatballs are cooked all the way through to the center.
11. Serve with additional parmesan cheese on top!

Pesto Meatballs Modifications

Add pesto to the orzo, too.

Can’t get enough of that pesto flavor? Stir a tablespoon or two into the broth/water/lemon mixture before you add the meatballs back in and cover the pan. Yum!

Use a different ground meat.

Don’t like turkey? That’s okay! You could totally use chicken, pork, or beef if your prefer. Just make sure to adjust the cook times slightly for whichever meat you decide to use.

Make it dairy free!

If you are staying away from dairy products, there are a lot of vegan pestos at stores right now. You could also make your own dairy-free pesto using this recipe! As for the parmesan cheese in the meatballs, you could leave it out (just be sure to season with salt if you do since you’ll miss that flavor without the parm!) or you could also whip up this easy dairy free “parmesan” to add!

Leave out the spice.

Don’t like spicy food? Just leave out the red pepper flakes. Easy peasy!

Pesto Meatballs with Zucchini and Orzo

Yield: 3-4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Print

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup water

Instructions

1. Combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, pesto, parmesan and egg in a bowl. Combine with your hands in form into meatballs about the size of a golf ball. 
2. Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs once the oil is hot and cook until each side is browned, about 3 minutes per side.
3. Transfer the meatballs to a plate.
4. Add butter to that same pan. Once melted, add red pepper flakes. (You can omit this if you don't like spice!)
5. Stir in the thinly sliced zucchini and cook for about a minute, then add your minced garlic.
6. Add white wine and lemon juice and cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Mix in your orzo, stirring to coat every piece of pasta.
8. Then add broth and water. When you start to see a low simmer, nestle the meatballs back in.
9. Cover the pan and cook for 8 minutes.
10. Uncover and check to make sure your orzo is al dente and your meatballs are cooked all the way through to the center.
11. Serve with additional parmesan cheese on top.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 673Total Fat: 33.6gSaturated Fat: 9.1gCholesterol: 182mgSodium: 780mgCarbohydrates: 47.9gFiber: 3.5gSugar: 5.4gProtein: 46.2g

PS. You might also like my Easy Baked Turkey Meatballs, Homemade Pesto, Pistachio Pesto, Slow Cooker Pork Ragu, and Vodka Sauce.