Every momma needs some crowd-pleasing dinner plans up her sleeve that can be whipped up ahead and heated when need be.
That’s how I feel about this one: Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs.
This is made with ingredients I pretty much always have lingering around: A box of pasta chilling in the cupboard, a package of ground chicken waiting it out in the freezer, a pint of grape tomatoes hanging out, and a pot of basil adorning my windowsill. The other players are all pantry staples, except for a container of fresh bocconcini (small mozzarella balls, for those of you not fluid in culinary Italian lingo). And those bad boys, I just throw on my grocery list and all is good in the hood. This dish with a bit of fresh bread and a fresh salad – my boys are happy. If you have multiple very hungry growing kiddos in your house, I strongly recommend doubling or tripling the meatball recipe portion of this. I actually only make 1/2 lb. of pasta, but my guys are carnivores. This is easy to adjust for a bigger crowd.
For working mommas – you can mix up the meatballs the night before so that the meat is all ready to roll when you get home from work. You can also halve your tomatoes and mozzarella so that your cooking time can happen in a snap. I’m a big fan of prepping. It’s how I manage to stay sane while running a business, a house, a child and a husband.
I add garlic to the meatballs, because I just love garlic in meatballs. That’s that. Ha.
I find that getting any small task done the night before is always sooooo helpful when you are down to the wire trying to get din on the table.
Due to my work schedule, I actually prepare the whole dish ahead in the morning and my husband just heats up a bowl for himself and one for my son when he gets home from work. I also prep a salad and make a salad dressing so that my guys have a veg component with din. I often don’t eat my own din until well after 9:30 on weeknights because piano students come to me all hours of the day once school is out. It sounds insane, but I’m used to it!
So many moms and dads work weird hours, and I hope this recipe helps you get a good meal on your table rather than ordering takeout or fast food out of desperation.
This recipe is by Giada DeLaurentiis, and it is from her book “Giada’s Kitchen: New Italian Favorites.” I hope it will become one of your family favorites!
Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs
Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes40
minutesIngredients
1 pound orecchiette pasta
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs (The Jersey Girl uses Italian)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. whole milk
1 Tbsp. ketchup
3/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced (This is a Jersey Girl addition)
3/4 tsp. salt (The Jersey Girl uses just 1/4 tsp. salt)
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground chicken
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (The Jersey Girl just uses a tablespoon per serving at the table)
8 ounces bocconcini (small mozzarella balls, halved)
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, milk, ketchup, Romano cheese, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and combine well. Using a melon baller or a teaspoon measure to scoop of the mixture, roll the seasoned chicken into 3/4-inch mini meatballs.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the meatballs and cook without moving until brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn the meatballs and brown the tops, about 2 minutes longer. Add the chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the tomatoes are soft and the meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl and add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Toss to coat the orecchiette lightly, adding some of the reserved pasta water to help make a sauce. Add the meatball mixture, bocconcini, and 1/2 cup of the basil and combine. Garnish with the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan and the remaining basil.
Please note: The Jersey Girl used Italian style bread crumbs instead of plain and a parmesan-romano blended grated cheese. She also adds three cloves garlic, minced, to the meatball mixture. She does not add a cup of grated cheese before serving. She also makes just 1/2 lb. pasta to go with the 1 lb. of chicken meatballs.
