Chicken MeatBall Pasta (Made with Whole Grain Pasta)





 

This is my kids' favorite dish, which I make very often, especially when their friends come over. I try to use whole wheat pasta or any other whole grain pasta instead of the regular white pasta. I also use ground turkey instead of chicken sometimes.  This is a simple and easy to make dish.  The meatballs and sauce can be made ahead and stored frozen or in the fridge. I try to use it within a few days in this case.


Ingredients: 

Whole grain pasta, 1 packet.

For the meatballs:

1. Ground chicken, 1/2 kg.

2. Bread crumbs, 1 cup.

3. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon, (optional).

4. Pepper, 1/2 teaspoon.

5. Salt, 1/2 teaspoon.

6. Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon. (optional)

7. Egg, 1.


For the sauce:

1. Crushed tomatoes, 2 cups.

2. Garlic, 2 cloves, crushed.

3. Chopped oregano and basil, 1 tablespoon. This can be substituted with dry herbs.

4. Salt and pepper, 1/2 teaspoon.

5. Italian seasoning mix, 1 teaspoon.

6. Olive oil, 2 tablespoons.


Preparation:

For the meatballs, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until it forms a dough and we are able to form the balls easily. If needed, more bread crumbs can be added. Make small balls from the dough. Arrange them on a greased baking sheet and bake them from 25 to 30 minutes until they turn brown on the outside and are fully cooked.

In a thick bottomed pot, add all the sauce ingredients with 2 cups of water and simmer it under low-to-medium flame until the desired consistency is reached. 

Add the meatballs and let it simmer in the sauce.

Meanwhile cook the pasta according to the package instructions. The pasta should not be cooked all the way.  It still has to have a bite to it. Drain the pasta and add them directly to the sauce, mix well, garnish with fresh herbs and sprinkle Parmesan cheese if needed and serve hot.

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