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orecchiette pasta with baby chicken meatballs plated
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4.75 from 4 votes

Orecchiette with Baby Chicken Meatballs

Orecchiette with baby chicken meatballs, from Giada de Laurentiis has mini chicken meatballs with broth, fresh mozzarella, and tomatoes.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 545kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb orecchiette pasta
  • ¼ cup plain or Italian bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • ¼ cup romano grated
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 cups chicken stock low salt is best
  • 4 cups cherry tomatoes
  • ½ cup parmeson freshly grated
  • 8 ounces mozzarella balls pearls or ciliegine
  • ½ cup fresh basil chopped

Instructions

  • Boil water for pasta in a large pot. Once the water is boiling, add pasta and cook until al dente or firm. About 8-10 minutes.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, add the following ingredients: breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, eggs, ketchup, milk, Romano, and salt and pepper.
  • Add the ground chicken to this mixture and mix gently to combine.
  • Form chicken into small meatballs. A melon baller works well for a size guideline. Make sure your hands are damp when rolling the meatballs, it helps the mixture not to stick as badly.
  • In a large, deep skillet or dutch oven, heat half of the olive oil over medium heat.
  • Brown meatballs, turning gently to cook all sides. You will want to do this in stages, adding the rest of the olive oil as needed. As the meatballs finish, move to a plate on the side.
  • Once all the meatballs are done, bring the finished ones back to the pot. Add in chicken stock and bring up to a boil, being sure to scrap the bottom of the pot to get up any flavor lying there.
  • Add in the halved tomatoes and simmer on low for 5-10 minutes-- until meatballs are cooked through.
  • Add the cooked pasta to the pot, along with the grated Parmesan, fresh mozzarella, and basil.
  • Toss lightly to combine and serve!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 177mg | Sodium: 1043mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g