Description
Tender chicken meatballs simmered in a rich tomato sauce and served over perfectly cooked spaghetti. A comforting, family-friendly dinner packed with savory flavor and finished with parmesan and fresh parsley.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped and divided
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti.
- In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup grated parmesan, half of the minced garlic, half of the chopped onion, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently until just combined.
- Form the mixture into evenly sized meatballs.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides until golden, then remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, sauté the remaining onion and garlic until softened.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then add crushed tomatoes and dried oregano. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Return the meatballs to the sauce and simmer gently for 15 minutes until fully cooked through.
- Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving a small amount of pasta water.
- Toss spaghetti with some of the sauce, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed.
- Serve spaghetti topped with meatballs and remaining parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Do not overmix the meatball mixture to keep them tender.
- Browning the meatballs first adds extra flavor to the sauce.
- Reserve pasta water to help the sauce cling to the spaghetti.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 820mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 115mg
