Modern recipes are becoming simpler — fewer ingredients, more cohesive flavors, and straightforward tastes. Meatballs, patties, and croquettes are the ultimate autumn comfort food: easy to prepare and incredibly warming. Today, I’m offering three options to choose from: turkey meatballs stuffed with mozzarella, fish meatballs with nuts and cinnamon, and a basic marinara sauce to complement both.

Turkey meatballs stuffed with mozzarella

• 500 g ground turkey
• 1 large ball of mozzarella (125 g)
• a handful of fresh rosemary leaves (or ½ tsp. dried)
• 2–3 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp. flour (I use flaxseed flour, but all-purpose flour, cornstarch, or breadcrumbs work too)
• 2 tbsp. cream or milk (water is also fine as a substitute)
• 1 large egg
• salt
• pepper

Mix the ground turkey with finely chopped garlic, rosemary, flaxseed flour, cream, salt, and pepper. Stir thoroughly. Cut the mozzarella into 10–14 small pieces. Shape the mixture into meatballs in your hand, ensuring each piece of mozzarella is fully encased in the turkey mixture. Arrange the meatballs on a baking sheet.

Bake at 200°C for 10 minutes without sauce, then another 10 minutes after pouring marinara sauce or passata over the meatballs. Use the grill function for a golden-brown finish.

Salmon meatballs with nuts and cinnamon

• 400 g fish (I use salmon or a mix of salmon and white fish)
• olive oil
• 50 g pine nuts (or chopped walnuts)
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• a handful of fresh parsley (chopped)
• 2 tbsp. flour (flaxseed or breadcrumbs work)
• 50 g grated Parmesan
• 2 eggs
• juice and zest of half a lemon

Cut the fish into 2 cm chunks and quickly sauté in olive oil with the pine nuts, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool. Add oregano, parsley, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, eggs, lemon juice, and zest. Mix thoroughly and form evenly sized meatballs.

If the mixture sticks to your hands, lightly coat your hands with olive oil or water. Place the meatballs on a greased baking sheet or in a baking dish and bake at 200°C for 10 minutes.

For both recipes, bake the meatballs for 10 minutes under the grill at 200°C, then add marinara sauce and bake for another 10 minutes.

Basic marinara sauce

It’s worth noting that there’s no single definitive recipe for marinara. The name derives from the Italian “marinaro” (sailor). Traditionally, the sauce had a briny touch with salted anchovies or sardines. Over time, it evolved into a simpler recipe. Marinara can be as basic as tomato passata with salt, garlic, and olive oil, or it can include celery, onions, or herbs like sage or basil.

• 300 ml passata
• 1 small onion
• 1 tsp. dried oregano or marjoram
• olive oil

Passata is easy to buy, but you can make it yourself if you prefer. Finely chop the onion, add oregano, and sauté in olive oil until the onion becomes translucent. Pour in the passata and immediately remove from heat; it will start to boil.

This sauce pairs perfectly with turkey meatballs (especially with onion) or fish meatballs (add a touch of garlic for a complementary flavor).