Crispy Baked “Chicken Parmesan” Meatballs with Penne & Rich Marinara

By charlotteh371

Ingredients

• Rich Marinara Sauce Ingredients:
• 1 – 1 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs (a roughly 2-3 ounce french roll, finely processed)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 – 1 1/4 pound ground chicken
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan, divided use
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided use
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• Rich Marinara Sauce (recipe below)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 (16 oz) package penne pasta, cooked and held warm
• Olive or canola oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 (28 ounce) cans organic crushed tomatoes
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Step 1

Preparation:

-Preheat the oven to 425°, and line a baking sheet with foil.

-In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the milk, and using your fingers, mix until moistened.

-Add in the ground chicken, the egg, ¼ cup of the parmesan, the garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper and 2 tablespoons of the chopped flat-leaf parsley, and using your finger tips, very gently mix the ingredients together just until combined.

-Form meatballs a little smaller than the size of a golf ball (the mixture will be sticky, so just form them as best as possible), and place the meatballs on the foil-lined baking sheet.

-Next, combine the panko breadcrumbs with the remaining ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese, plus the olive oil, and mix until moistened.

-Carefully and gently roll each meatball in the panko mixture, place them back onto the baking sheet bake, and bake for 15 minutes; after 15 minutes, adjust the oven to “low broil”, and allow the meatballs to brown and crisp a bit more for about 10 minutes.

-Remove from oven, top each meatball with some of the Rich Marinara sauce and a sprinkle of mozzarella, and place them back into “low broil” oven just for a moment to melt the cheese.

-To serve, add some of the pasta to a serving bowl, and top with sauce; then, top with several meatballs and garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley.

Marinara:

Place a large non-stick pot over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 3 tablespoons of oil; once hot, add in the onion, the salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper and red pepper flakes, and stir to combine; allow to saute for about 2-3 minutes.

-Next, add in the garlic and stir, and once that becomes aromatic, add in the tomato paste and stir to combine; cook for about 2 minutes.

-Add in the crushed tomatoes, stir, and allow to gently simmer on low with a lid partly askew, for about 30 minutes.

-Finish the marinara by stirring in the parmesan, the chopped parsley and the basil; keep warm, or allow to completely cool and keep in fridge until ready to reheat and use.