Chicken Ricotta Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Moist and tender chicken ricotta meatballs are simmered in a flavorful roasted red pepper tomato sauce and are amazing served over spaghetti with lots of Parmesan and basil on top.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 284kcal
Ingredients
Chicken Ricotta Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
- 1 dried bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cooked spaghetti noodles, fresh basil, and grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
Chicken Ricotta Meatballs
- In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, ricotta, breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Scoop mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place on a plate.
- Heat a large high-walled skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add meatballs to pan and sear on all sides, turning occasionally with a tongs until meatballs are golden brown. Transfer meatballs to a clean plate and set aside.
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- Heat same pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat pan. Add shallot and sauté 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and red pepper flakes if using and cook 1 additional minute until fragrant.
- Pour white wine into pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Bring white wine to a simmer and cook 2-3 minutes until reduced in half.
- Add tomato paste, roasted red peppers, and whole tomatoes to pan. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Use a potato masher to mash tomatoes.
- Reduce heat to low, add bay leaf and meatballs to sauce, cover pan, and let sauce simmer 15-20 minutes until meatballs register 165F and sauce is slightly reduced, stirring occasionally.
- Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste if needed and serve warm over spaghetti with fresh basil and Parmesan on top. Enjoy!
Notes
Storing Instructions
Store meatballs and sauce in refrigerator up to 6 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 4 meatballs (calculated without pasta or toppings) | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 1070mg | Potassium: 824mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 610IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 3mg