Mini meatballs make the world go ’round.
ingredients:
1 pound penne pasta (or any other small sized pasta)
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon whole milk
1 Tablespoon ketchup
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 pound ground turkey (or use pork if you are like my kid)
1/4 olive oil* (if frying, see below)
1 cup chicken broth
3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
8 ounces bocconcini (tiny mozzarella balls, halved)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, according to timing on package. Drain the pasta saving 1/2 cup of pasta water (very important). Set aside.
I am big on prepping ahead. So now’s when I’d wash and cut the tomatoes in half and set them aside in a bowl. Same with the bocconicini, cut them in half, set them aside as well. Then you can just throw it all together later. Trust me.
In a medium bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, eggs, milk, ketchup, parmesancheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add the ground turkey until well combined. Make tiny 3/4 mini meatballs. You can do this by hand, I prefer to use a mini ice cream scoop.
Now, you can cook these meatballs on the stove OR in the oven. (*IF you want to do it in the oven, put the meatballs on a lined baking sheet and cook in a 350 degree oven for 30mins) If you don’t, and want to slave over a stove top (always fun) then heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meatballs – you’ll probably have to do three batches, see what I mean about standing around? – don’t be tempted to move the meatballs until they are brown on the bottom, around 2-3 mins. Turn them and brown the tops, 2-3 mins more. Add the chicken broth and tomatoes and bring it to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer until the tomatoes are soft and the meatballs are cooked through, about 5-10 mins.
Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl, add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, toss to coat. Add some of the reserved pasta water you saved to make a sauce. Add the meatballs, cherry tomatoes, bocconcini and stir with the rest of the Parmesan. I also like to sprinkle some cracked pepper on top.
This is a GREAT dish. The combination of flavors and textures works really really well. I was thinking of making it at Christmas just because of the lovely green and red colors.
Kid's lunches, simple dinners and a whole lot of geeky baking.
Well, I didn’t exactly make the meatballs part, but this dish tasted good using Amylu chicken sausages. We recently shopped at Costco and had a bunch of stuff needing to be used: grape tomatoes, mozzarella balls, large container of grated Grana Padano, and the sausage. Lots of basil left in the garden, and with fall coming, they need to be used up soon. This recipe was perfect for what I had around the house today and not being in the mood to go food shopping. Thanks, Jenn!