Chicken Pesto Meatballs

Name: Chicken Pesto Meatballs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings.
Cuisine: Asian Appetizers, Asian Dinners, Indian Recipes
Ingredients: 6 ounces uncooked whole grain spaghetti; 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs; 2 tablespoons prepared pesto; 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 pound lean ground chicken; 1-1/2 cups marinara sauce; 1/4 cup water; Torn fresh basil and additional Parmesan cheese, optional

These tender, pesto-stuffed meatballs get gobbled up in our house. They're short on ingredients, but packed with flavor. I always make a double batch, freezing the other half for a busy night. —Ally Billhorn, Wilton, Iowa

Ingredients

6 ounces uncooked whole grain spaghetti
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons prepared pesto
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound lean ground chicken
1-1/2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup water
Torn fresh basil and additional Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain.
In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, pesto, cheese and garlic powder. Add chicken; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-in. balls.
In a large skillet, brown meatballs over medium heat, turning occasionally. Add sauce and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve with spaghetti. If desired, top with basil and additional cheese.
Freeze option: Freeze cooled meatball mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a covered saucepan over low heat, stirring gently; add water if necessary.

Test Kitchen tips

If you don't have dry bread crumbs, substitute with an equal amount of unsalted cracker crumbs or uncooked oats, or use 3/4 cup soft bread crumbs.

Overmixing ground meat causes meat loaves, meatballs and burgers to have an unappealing firm and compact texture.

Mixing the seasonings and any bread crumbs or liquid ingredients before adding the meat helps blend the flavors without over-handling the meat.

Nutrition Facts

3/4 cup meatball mixture with 1 cup spaghetti: 422 calories, 12g fat (3g saturated fat), 85mg cholesterol, 706mg sodium, 45g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 7g fiber), 32g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 starch, 3 lean meat, 1-1/2 fat.

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Sharon

Apr 8, 2020

Delicious! Quick, easy recipe with pantry ingredients. Meatballs are tender and flavorful! I had a pound of ground chicken in my freezer and was looking for a recipe to make with what I had in my pantry during the "stay at home" quarantine. This will be now be a regular at my house.
Justluv2cook

Dec 3, 2019

Just love a recipe with a chicken option! Love the Pesto too. Easy and flavorful. Just sauteed a bit of fresh garlic and onion added into meatballs cause I love it! Thumbs up! Thanks for the easy recipe