Chicken Meatball Penne

photo by Karen Elizabeth

- Ready In:
- 50mins
- Ingredients:
- 21
- Yields:
-
4 2-cup capacity dishes
- Serves:
- 4
ingredients
- 250 g penne pasta
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 (185 ml) cans evaporated milk
- 1 cup frozen peas
- salt, to taste
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 100 g feta, crumbled
- fresh sage leaf, to garnish
-
Chicken meatballs
- 500 g ground chicken (Americans) or 500 g ground chicken (Australians)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 50 g fresh white breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- salt, to taste
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 1⁄2 tablespoon unsalted butter
directions
- Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling, salted water until tender; drain; cover to keep warm.
- To make the meatballs, combine the chicken, garlic, fresh breadcrumbs, chives, basil, parmesan and egg in a bowl, season to taste with salt and pepper, mix well and with floured hands, and shape the mixture into 12-16 meatballs, depending on the size of meatball you fancy.
- Place the meatballs on a tray, cover loosely and chill for 30 minutes.
- Heat the butter in a non-stick pan, over a medium heat, and sauté the meatballs, turning occasionally, for 6-8 minutes, or until they are lightly golden-brown all over and fully cooked; remove from the pan and cover to keep the meatballs to keep them warm.
- Heat the oil in the pan, add the onion, garlic and carrot, and sauté until they have softened; add the milk and peas and bring to the boil; add the pasta; season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper; and cook until the pasta is hot.
- Serve the pasta topped with the meatballs; sprinkle with the crumbled feta and garnish with sage.
- To freeze: Make the recipe to the end of step 5. Divide the mixture among four ovenproof, freezer-proof (2-cup capacity) dishes; top with the meatballs and sprinkle with feta; cover tightly with plastic wrap; label and date and freeze for up to 2 months.
- To serve: Thaw pasta in dishes in the refrigerator; remove the plastic wrap; place on an oven tray; cook in a hot oven (200°C) for about 45 minutes, or until hot, and garnish with sage.
Questions & Replies

Got a question?
Share it with the community!
Reviews
-
Very nice, the meatballs were easy to prepare, while they were chilling I prepared the pasta and sauce, a straightforward meal that we very much enjoyed for a weeknight supper. Although I didn't prepare a second lot for freezing, I can certainly see it would lend itself well to that, and next time will make some for the freezer, to give to DD1 to take with her to varsity, easy for her to defrost and enjoy when she comes home late! The meatballs would also make nice finger snackies with a dip on the side :D Thanks, Bluemoon!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
July 2008 update: VERY happy to be back on Zaar after about a two year absence due to having had no internet connection at home, and having been too unwell for a time so that getting re-connected wasn't even a priority!
<br>
<br>And really looking forward to getting back into the Zaar world and connecting again with the many wonderful people I knew before, and new people, of course!