Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti

Chicken meatballs and spaghetti is a great alternative to beef or pork. Now, I love beef and pork, but I wanted to give my family something different. This is a recipe for a family of five, plus a little extra for leftovers.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 491 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 (16 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 ¼ cups water
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 2 pounds ground chicken
• 3 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• cooking spray
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 (16 ounce) package whole-wheat spaghetti
• 1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Stir together the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and basil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes while preparing meatballs.

Step 2

Mix together the ground chicken, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Roll into 1 inch balls. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Add meatballs to the simmering pasta sauce and cook until internal temperature of meatballs reaches a minimum of 160 degrees F (72 degrees C), about 30 minutes.

Step 3

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the spaghetti, and return to a boil. Cook until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain. Serve the meatballs and sauce over the cooked spaghetti.