Sun Dried Tomato Pasta with Chicken Meatballs
Have I told you guys about the pasta sampler we had while we were in Ravello this past summer? It was a plate of 6 kinds of pasta, all with different proteins and sauces and handmade pasta and my husband and I went back to the restaurant TWICE it was so good! (which is sacrilegious in my book because you should never go to the same restaurant twice when traveling) But we couldn’t be stopped. There was a sun dried tomato pasta sauce that I was obsessed with and I’ve been perfecting my rendition ever since getting home - so without further ado… Sun Dried Tomato Pasta with Chicken Meatballs!
These cheesy chicken meatballs are loaded with plenty of spices, a few herbs and tons of Parrano cheese, so them alone are perfection. But then add to that the Parrano loaded sauce and it’s like a match made in Italian food heaven. Each bite is better than the last and you’ll want to keep it in the dinner rotation on a weekly basis! AND… if that’s the case, you can make the pasta sauce ahead of time in bulk, and keep it stocked in the freezer!
Sun Dried Tomato Pasta with Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
- ½ cup grated Parrano cheese
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon parsley
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cups flour
- ½ cup olive oil
For the Pasta and Sauce
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 large garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 roasted red pepper drained, chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup grated Parrano cheese
Instructions
For the Meatballs
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, Parrano, bread crumbs, eggs, salt, pepper, oregano, parsley and red pepper flakes. Carefully combine everything with your hands until the ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Form the ground chicken mixture into small meatballs, each the size of a golf ball. Dredge each meatball in the flour to lightly coat it and gently tap off any excess flour. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add half of the meatballs and sauté for 3-4 minutes, turning every so often to brown the outside and then continue cooking through for about 6 minutes more. Once the meatballs are cooked, remove them from the oil and repeat the process with the remaining meatballs.
For the Pasta and Sauce
- Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add sun dried tomatoes, cream, red peppers and crushed red pepper; simmer over medium heat 2 minutes. Stir in ½ cup basil and simmer 1 minute longer. Remove from heat, let cool, then transfer to a blender and puree for 1 minute until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add sauce, cheese and toss to coat. Add enough reserved cooking liquid to pasta to moisten if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Add the meatballs back into the pot and heat through. Garnish with basil and extra Parrano cheese.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
Made this with cubed chicken breast instead of the meatballs because it’s what I had- but still had to give 5 stars for the sauce! It was SO GOOD and flavorful, and great way to use up some jarred pantry stuff. Def will make again (and try the meatballs!)
This was really good as a whole and the meatballs were excellent by themselves (we took a sneak taste), but it was absolutely delicious and worth the effort. I love the flavor of the herbs and cheese in the meatballs, and it reminds me to make homemade meatballs more often. Loved it!
Now this is my kind of comfort food! I need to try this asap!
These look amazing! I want a big plate this pasta & meatballs!
I love chicken meatballs with pasta. Yum!
This looks great! I can't wait to try Parrano cheese!
Spaghetti and meatballs, a family classic! Yum!!
This looks like the best comfort food ever!