Ingredients
For the chicken meatballs:
- Ground chicken: 500g.
- Garlic and Onion: Finely chopped.
- Breadcrumbs: 2 to 3 tablespoons (to keep it soft).
- Egg: 1 (to bind the mixture).
- Seasoning: Salt, black pepper, and a little paprika or chili powder.
- Fresh parsley: Finely chopped.
For the sauce and pasta:
- Pasta: 500g (Spaghetti or Macaroni).
- Tomato concentrate: 2 tbsp.
- Fresh tomatoes: 2 to 3 (mixed or finely chopped).
- Onion: 1 large (chopped).
- Cooking oil: 3 to 4 tbsp.
- Broth cube: 1 (optional).
- Herbs: Bay leaf or thyme.
Instructions
1. Prepare the meatballs:
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, garlic, onion, parsley, egg, breadcrumbs and spices.
- Mix well by hand until you obtain a uniform texture.
- Form into small, bite-sized balls.
2. Sear the meatballs:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Brown the meatballs on all sides until they are nicely browned. They do not need to be cooked through at this stage. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
3. Prepare the sauce:
- In the same pan (using the oil flavored by the meatballs), brown the chopped onions until translucent.
- Add the tomato paste and fry for a minute to remove the acidity.
- Pour in the mixed fresh tomatoes and the stock cube. Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Add a splash of water if the sauce becomes too thick.
4. Mix:
- Return the browned meatballs to the sauce. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes to finish cooking the chicken and allow it to absorb the flavors of the sauce.
5. Cook the pasta:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to package directions (al dente).
- Drain the pasta.
6. Service:
- You can either toss the pasta directly into the sauce or serve the meatballs and sauce over plain pasta. Garnish with additional fresh parsley.