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Prep time
5 hours
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Cook time
35 minutes
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Serves
4
Author Notes
I love pasta and broccoli and when you throw in a little Italian sausage, I'm in heaven! I make a quick Italian-flavored turkey sausage for spaghetti and meatballs and thought, why not ground chicken? The meatball is a little spicy so add the crushed red pepper sparingly if you're not a heat freak. —inpatskitchen
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Ingredients
- For the meatballs
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1 pound
ground chicken
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2 teaspoons
crushed red pepper flakes
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2 teaspoons
granulated (ground) garlic
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1 1/2 teaspoons
salt
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1/2 teaspoon
black pepper
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2 teaspoons
granulated sugar
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2 teaspoons
crushed fennel seeds
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1
large egg
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1 cup
unseasoned panko crumbs
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1/4 cup
extra-virgin olive oil
- Putting it all together
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2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
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4
cloves minced garlic
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1/4 teaspoon
crushed red pepper flakes
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The previously cooked meatballs
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2 cups
chicken broth divided (1/1)
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10 ounces
dry penne pasta
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5
heaping cups of small, fresh broccoli florets
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1 pinch
salt and pepper to taste
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1/4 cup
grated Parmesan for serving
Directions
- For the meatballs
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Combine all ingredients except the oil thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
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After refrigeration, roll the mix into smallish (1 1/2-inch) meatballs. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the meatballs on all sides, in batches if necessary. Remove the meatballs to drain on paper towels. Leave the drippings in the skillet.
- Putting it all together
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Add the 2 tablespoons of oil to the reserved drippings in the skillet and sauté the garlic and crushed red pepper for about a minute until fragrant. Add the meatballs and one cup of the chicken broth. Turn off the heat while you prepare the pasta and broccoli.
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Begin cooking the penne in a large pot per package directions but add the second cup of chicken broth to the pasta water. The penne takes 10 to 11 minutes to cook. At about the 8 minute mark, add the broccoli florets to the cooking pasta and cook about 3 minutes more. While the pasta is cooking, start heating the meatballs in the skillet over medium heat.
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Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving a cup or two of the pasta liquid, and stir the mixture into the skillet of meatballs. Add some of the pasta liquid if needed to loosen everything up. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with the Parmesan.
I think I get my love for food and cooking from my mom, who was an amazing cook. She would start baking and freezing a month before Christmas in order to host our huge open house on Christmas afternoon. I watched and I learned...to this day I try not to procrastinate when it comes to entertaining.
My cooking style is pretty much all over the place, although I'm definitely partial to Greek and Italian cuisine. Oh yes, throw a little Cajun in there too!
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