Artificial Food Coloring Free Sheet Pan Turkey Meatballs with Pesto, Walnuts, Zucchini & Tomatoes
Sheet pan dinners are already a weeknight hero, but this one earns extra points for being genuinely vibrant and wholesome from start to finish. Every component — the turkey meatballs, the roasted zucchini, the burst cherry tomatoes, and the bright walnut-basil pesto — is made entirely from scratch using real, recognizable ingredients. That matters more than it might seem, because store-bought meatballs, jarred pesto, and pre-seasoned proteins are common sources of synthetic dyes and artificial additives that can be surprisingly hard to spot on a label. Here, you know exactly what goes in: ground turkey, egg, almond flour, walnuts, fresh basil, lemon juice, garlic, and good olive oil. The pesto does double duty, getting mixed right into the meatball mixture for deep, herby flavor and then spooned over the top after roasting so every bite is coated in something fresh and fragrant. Roasting everything together at high heat means the tomatoes burst into a jammy sauce and the zucchini picks up golden edges — no extra pots, no mystery seasonings. A squeeze of lemon and a few fresh basil leaves at the end tie it all together into a dinner that looks and tastes like you put in way more effort than you actually did.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the pesto
- ½ cup raw walnuts
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼ tsp salt
For the meatballs
- 1 ¼ lb ground turkey (93% lean)
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup raw walnuts, finely chopped
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the sheet pan
- 2 medium zucchini (about 1 lb total), cut into 1-inch half-moons
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For serving
- fresh basil leaves, for serving (optional)
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large 18×13-inch sheet pan with parchment paper or lightly coat with olive oil.
- 2
Make the pesto: combine the raw walnuts, basil, 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt in a small food processor or blender and pulse until a coarse, spreadable paste forms, scraping down the sides as needed. Set aside.
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