We don’t eat carbs all week. It took years to get used to, but with 60-80 hours a week in an office job you have to keep the flub off. Plus for health reasons we both try to stay as active and lean as we can! But on the weekend….WE EAT LOTS O’ CARBS. It’s not that carbs aren’t good for you, everyone needs them but if you sit around all week, lean meat and veggies is all you get.
This particular pasta is Travis’ favorite! I made it once and he requests it all of the time, which he never does! It’s really pretty easy and quick and can feed a decent crowd. The chicken meatballs are little, and moist and the little fresh mozzarella balls make the dish. Bon appetite ❤️
Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta with Chicken Meatballs
Print RecipeIngredients
- Meatballs
- ½ cup Panko
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ lb. ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp. grated or shredded (in food processor) onion
- 1 Tbsp. fresh minced parsley
- 1 Tbsp. sour cream
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- Pasta + Sauce
- 2 cups uncooked orecchiette pasta
- ¼ - ⅓ cup reserved pasta water*
- 1 cup jarred Tomato Basil pasta sauce (I used this brand - it has clean ingredients)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup mini mozzarella balls ("pearls"-found next to fresh mozzarella)
- fresh chopped parsley or basil
Instructions
Meatballs
In a large mixing bowl, combine Panko with milk. Let stand for about 5 minutes or until milk is absorbed. To the Panko, add the chicken, egg, onion, parsley, sour cream, salt and pepper. The mixture should be quite wet.
Turn on your broiler on HIGH.
Shape the chicken mixture into 1¼-inch meatballs (I used 1 tsp. measuring spoon) and place in a single layer on a lightly coated with cooking spray or oil baking sheet.
Broil the meatballs on HIGH for 3-4 minutes (I had my oven rack set in the middle) or until lightly golden and almost fully cooked but still slightly pink on the inside. Keep an eye on them so they don't overcook! Remove and let stand at room temperature while preparing pasta+sauce.
Pasta + Sauce
Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Reserve ¼ - ⅓ cups of pasta water and drain the rest.
In a large saute pan, heat pasta sauce over medium heat. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Add meatballs and simmer over low/med heat for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly and meatballs are cooked through. (Meatballs should be super moist, tender, and white on the inside).
Add cooked pasta to the sauce and the reserved pasta water.** Give it couple stirs with a spoon and then add the mozzarella balls.
Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve immediately.
Notes
Starchy water helps the sauce stick to the pasta
No Comments