Chicken Pesto Meatballs
Spaghetti and meatballs. An all-time classic. Some people say you shouldn’t mess with the classics, but when I first discovered you could craft delicious chicken meatballs, it all came to me. These are the chicken pesto meatballs, and the dish is a fresh take on a comforting dish we all love.
Meaty & Juicy
Tender and juicy, the secret of these meatballs is mixing basil pesto with breadcrumbs, lots of grated Parmesan, and a few teaspoons of garlic powder before combining the whole thing with lean ground chicken meat. The special ingredient is pesto — and if you can’t buy pesto, you can make your own with chopped basil, minced garlic, a little grated parmesan, salt, pepper, and lots of olive oil.
Marinara Heaven
The resulting meat mixture is easily shaped with your hands, and the meatballs won’t crumble. Tossed in a hot skillet with a little olive oil, they become golden, golf ball-sized bits of heaven. Add your favorite tomato sauce, and you’re ready to go! We love serving this over spaghetti, that’s the traditional way, but these meatballs are lovely with all kinds of pasta. Once you try these delicious chicken meatballs, you’ll never go back to beef!
Nutritional Values (per serving)
- Calories: 422
- Fat: 12g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
- Sodium: 706mg
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Protein: 32g
Region
Fun Facts
- Chef Boyardee was a real person, from Italy! Piacenza to be exact.”
- Italians eat, on average, half a pound of bread daily!
- The estimated annual pasta consumption in Italy is 70 pounds per person!
- Tomatoes are not native to Italy; they were brought over from the Americas.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces uncooked whole grain spaghetti
- 1 1⁄2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 pound lean ground chicken
- 1⁄4 cup dry bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons prepared pesto
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1⁄4 cup water
- Torn fresh basil and additional Parmesan cheese, optional
What You'll Need
- Cooking Oil
- Large sized bowl
- Skillet
- Large pot