Creamy Baked Pesto Pasta with Chicken Meatballs
Prep Time: 40 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr
This creamy baked pesto pasta with chicken meatballs is the perfect weeknight meal. Loaded with juicy, tender chicken meatballs, creamy pesto pasta and fresh herbs, you’re going to love this recipe.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Boil a pot of water and cook the pasta according to the package. Al dente is best as the pasta will continue to cook in the oven. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water and drain the remaining water using a colander. Set the pasta aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, olive oil, Italian breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, dried oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and cracked black pepper. Mix until well combined then form the mixture into meatballs. I was able to get 25 meatballs.
Heat a neutral oil in a skillet over medium high heat. I used avocado oil. Shallow fry the meatballs until they are golden brown on all sides. Place them on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Next, heat a 3.5-quart saucepan over medium high heat. Add butter and sauté the diced shallots and minced garlic. Once the shallots are soft, add the pesto and ½ - ¾ cup pasta water. Mix well. Next, add the cream cheese and whisk until everything is well combined. Then, add the grated parmesan cheese. If the sauce gets too tight, add more pasta water or chicken broth. Turn off the heat on the sauce. You do not want it to get too thick as the pasta will absorb a lot of the moisture. Next, add the cooked pasta into the saucepan with the creamy pesto sauce. Nestle the meatballs into the pasta and sauce. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese, red pepper flakes, cracked black pepper and parsley.
Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Serve hot.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 531kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 173mg, Sodium: 1323mg, Potassium: 821mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1216IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 333mg, Iron: 3mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 531