Description
This is pure comfort food. Mini chicken meatballs, pasta, cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Warm your belly and your soul with this quick one pot pasta dish.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb orecchiette or other small pasta
- 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 oz bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), halved
- 1/2 cup packed chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, eggs, milk, ketchup, 3/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and combine well.
- Using a melon baller or teaspoon, scoop up the mixture and roll into 1 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. (It took me three batches to get all the meatballs browned.)
- Return all meatballs to pan and add chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits on bottom of skillet. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the tomatoes are soft and meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and add to the meatballs.
- Add the remaining 3/4 cup parmesan, bocconcini, and basil. Give it a good stir and serve with additional parmesan if desired.