Chicken Meatballs with Spicy Tomato Sauce | Chicken Recipes

Chicken Meatballs with Spicy Tomato Sauce

For the meatballs:
5 oz. (155 g.) spinach leaves
1 lb. (500 g.) ground chicken
6 Tbs. (1 oz./30 g.) whole-wheat panko bread crumbs
3 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg, slightly beaten
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the spicy tomato sauce:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. each red pepper flakes and dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup (3 fl. oz./80 ml.) dry red wine
1 can (28 oz./875 g.) diced tomatoes

1/4 cup (3/4 oz./20 g.) chopped fresh basil

Bring a saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Add the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain well and then wrap in a clean kitchen towel to squeeze out any remaining moisture. Finely chop and transfer to a large bowl.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). To the bowl with the spinach, add the chicken, panko, Parmesan, garlic and egg. Season well with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Using 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture at a time, form into meatballs and transfer to a baking sheet lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

To make the tomato sauce, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, thyme and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and saute, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then transfer half of the sauce to a blender in two batches. Puree the sauce and add it back into the saucepan. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the sauce into shallow bowls and top with 3 or 4 meatballs. Garnish with the chopped basil, and serve. Serves 4-6.

Chicken has a significantly lower calorie and fat content than the traditional beef or pork base for meatballs. Adding spinach into the meatballs is an easy way of slipping more vegetables into your diet, too. Swimming in a fiery tomato sauce, you won’t even miss the spaghetti.