High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Sheet Pan Turkey Meatballs with Pesto, Walnuts, Zucchini & Tomatoes

Total time45 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Sheet Pan Turkey Meatballs with Pesto, Walnuts, Zucchini & Tomatoes

This sheet pan dinner is the kind of weeknight meal that looks impressive but comes together with minimal fuss — juicy turkey meatballs, roasted zucchini, and burst cherry tomatoes all finished with a bright, herby walnut pesto. The homemade pesto is the real star here, blending fresh basil, raw walnuts, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil into a coarse, fragrant sauce that gets folded right into the meatball mixture and spooned over the top at the end. That double hit of pesto is what makes every bite so deeply flavorful. Avoiding high fructose corn syrup can be trickier than it sounds when it comes to store-bought sauces, condiments, and even pre-seasoned proteins — but this recipe sidesteps all of that by building everything from scratch with whole, recognizable ingredients. Almond flour and finely chopped walnuts replace breadcrumbs as the binder, keeping the meatballs tender without reaching for any packaged shortcuts. Everything roasts together on one pan at 425°F, so the tomatoes collapse into a jammy, savory base and the zucchini picks up those lightly caramelized edges that make vegetables genuinely exciting. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a few fresh basil leaves, and dinner is done.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the pesto

½ cup raw walnuts
2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Private Selection Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Bertolli Extra Virgin D'Italiia Olive Oil 16.9oz
Extra Virgin Olive Oil FIELD DAY OLIVE OIL EXTRA VIRGIN Olitalia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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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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