Spaghetti & Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
This Spaghetti & Chicken Parmesan Meatballs dish is the perfect comfort food. The meatballs are meaty, cheesy, and herby, and they’re topped with a delicious tomato cream sauce, turning a classic dish into something a little new and different.
The Chicken & Parmesan Meatballs
These meatballs are insanely delicious. Ground chicken can sometimes have the reputation of being dry, but we’ve added ingredients to these to make sure they’re full of flavor, moisture, and texture. They turn out to be some of the best meatballs we’ve ever had!
Ingredients
- Ground chicken – chicken is probably the meat we cook with the most, and we love using ground chicken here because it’s lean and not as pricey as other meats.
- Chicken Italian sausage – this gives the meatballs extra flavor, richness, and necessary fat.
- Parmesan cheese – we suggest using freshly grated parmesan here instead of pre-shredded or it won’t mix in as well.
- Onion – this gives the meatballs a nice allium flavor.
- Basil – this helps flavor the meatballs and complement the tomato in the sauce.
- Breadcrumbs – we find that regular breadcrumbs (not panko) work the best here.
- Spices – these meatballs are perfectly spiced with onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and salt.
- Egg – this recipe uses a whole egg and an egg yolk for binding and richness.
- Olive oil – using a little olive oil in the meatball mixture helps to keep it moist.
The Best Tomato Cream Sauce Ever
We love a good sauce, and this tomato cream sauce is soooooooo good. It’s mildly acidic from the tomatoes, creamy from the heavy cream, savory from the parmesan, and herby from the fresh basil and dried oregano. This sauce is good enough to drink, or at least good enough to dunk the meatballs in.
Ingredients
- Onion – these provide a little sweetness and a subtle sharpness.
- Tomatoes – this sauce uses both whole peeled tomatoes, which we blend in the can using an immersion blender, and tomato paste for added sweetness and umami flavor.
- Spices – dried oregano gives the sauce herby notes, and crushed red pepper flakes add just the right amount of heat.
- Heavy cream – this recipe uses just enough heavy cream to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, make the sauce a little creamier, and turn it into a delightful pinky red color.
- Parmesan cheese – we recommend shredding the parmesan cheese yourself so that it melts into the sauce more easily.
- Fresh basil – the basil in the sauce matches the basil in the meatballs, and it gives a nice freshness to the dish.
How to Make the Spaghetti & Chicken Parmesan Meatballs in Tomato Cream Sauce
This Spaghetti & Chicken Parmesan Meatballs recipe has two main parts: the meatballs and the sauce. We suggest focusing on the meatballs first, and then making the sauce while the meatballs are baking. Don’t forget to cook your pasta too!
Making the Meatballs
To make the meatballs, start by preheating your oven to 400F, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the ingredients for the meatballs to a large bowl and mix until just combined (overmixing can make the meatballs tough). Form the meat mixture into balls about 3 tablespoons large (about 2 inches across). This recipe makes 30 meatballs of this size. Bake the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet for 15 minutes, then flip the meatballs over and bake for another 10 minutes until they’re cooked through.
Making the Sauce
While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. Start by heating the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Add the tomato paste and toss with the onions, cooking for about 1 minute, then mix in the oregano and red pepper flakes.
Puree the tomatoes with an immersion blender (this can be done in the tomato can or in a separate container), then add them to the pan with the onions and cook for about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream, then mix in the parmesan cheese. Taste the sauce for seasoning and add more salt if needed.
Putting the Spaghetti & Chicken Parmesan Meatballs Together
Finally, make the pasta according to the package directions.
Plate some pasta with sauce and a few meatballs. Garnish with extra parmesan cheese.
Spaghetti & Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Ingredients
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 pound chicken Italian sausage
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
- ¼ cup basil leaves, ribboned
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tbsp sea salt
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup onion, minced
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Tomato Cream Sauce
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 28 oz whole peeled tomatoes, canned
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
- ¼ cup basil leaves, ribboned
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Pasta
- 1 pound spaghetti
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the ingredients for the meatballs to a large bowl and mix until just combined.
- Form the meat mixture into balls about 3 tablespoons large (about 2 inches across). This recipe makes 30 meatballs of this size.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the meatballs over and bake for another 10 minutes.
- While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. Start by heating the oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften.
- Add the tomato paste and toss with the onions, cooking for about 1 minute, then mix in the oregano and red pepper flakes.
- Puree the tomatoes with an immersion blender, then add them to the pan with the onions and cook for about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream, then mix in the parmesan cheese. Taste the sauce for seasoning.
- Make the pasta according to package directions.
- Plate some pasta with sauce and a few meatballs. Garnish with extra parmesan cheese.
