Mince Chicken Balls, Saucy Spaghetti Pasta - Seriously Delicious

This is seriously good comfort food and a fantastic alternative to the perennial favourite 'spag bol'. I copied it out of an Australian Womens Weekly recipe book years ago . Although the original suggested wholemeal spaghetti, any spaghetti, fettuccine, penne, fussili etc can be used. The recipe also says bottled pasta sauce, but I make my own by cooking onions and garlic in oil for 5 minutes, adding 1 can of chopped tomatoes and 1 cup of chicken stock. Simmer for about 10 mins and then puree - add more stock and tomotoes as needed. Note that you'll need to have 1 cup cooked rice for the recipe.

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1⁄3 cup rice
• 1  kg chicken breast fillet, skin removed and minced
• 1  medium onion, finely chopped
• 1⁄4 cup  grated parmesan cheese
• 1⁄2 cup  stale  breadcrumbs
• 1  tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• 20  ml  olive  cooking spray
• 2  medium onions, chopped extra
• 500  g spaghetti
• 1 1⁄2 cups  chicken stock
• 2 (500 ml) bottles  pasta sauce
• 1  tablespoon  chopped parsley

Directions

1. Add rice to a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 15-20 minutes, or as per rice packet instructions. Drain and rinse with cold running water.
2. In a bowl, combine the minced chicken, 1 chopped onion, parmesan, breadcrumbs, cooked rice and basil. Roll rounded tablespoons of the mixture into balls and place on a tray. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Coat a large frypan with the oil spray, add the extra 2 chopped onions and 1/4 cup of the chicken stock, stirring until the onions are soft.
4. Add the chicken balls to the pan, and cook - covered - for 10 minutes.
5. While the chicken balls are cooking, add the pasta to a large pot of boiling water and boil uncovered until 'al dente' (just tender) - or as per the pasta packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
6. Add the remaining stock and pasta sauce to the cooking chicken balls and simmer - covered - for a further 5 minutes.
7. Add the chopped parsley to the pan and simmer - uncovered - for another 10 minutes.
8. Serve the chicken balls and sauce over the pasta, and sprinkle with extra parmesan and parsley, if desired.