Meatballs are one of those foods that warm the belly when it’s cold and dark outside. Meatballs are comfort food and now is the season. You might be thinking, do I really need another meatball recipe? Yes, because these are meatballs with a twist!
Firstly, the main ingredient is ground chicken, but hear me out. Until I found this recipe, I was not a fan of chicken meatballs because they are usually dry, tasteless and crumbly. That is because the main ingredient in most meatball recipes is beef, or a combination of beef, pork, veal or sometimes lamb, which all contain more fat than chicken; that fat holds the ball together and, of course, also adds flavor as well as a less crumbly texture. Here the added ingredient that makes these meatballs taste so good is pancetta, which adds a lot of flavor without much fat.
Then there are the bitter greens. This is also the season for bitter greens and if you haven’t tried them before (and there are many different ones to choose from — lucky us in Northern California), I really encourage you to give them a try. They are good for you; some varieties are better cooked, some not. I love frisée along with Belgian endive and Fuyu persimmons in a salad. Escarole is another bitter green that is great sautéed with a bit of garlic and oil; just before serving, sprinkle it with some lemon juice. You must wash escarole well, but it’s well worth the effort, and it only takes a few minutes to cook. Tossed with pasta along with these meatballs, escarole adds another layer of flavor that makes your pasta and meatballs extra special.
These meatballs are workhorses. You could top a pizza with a few of them, and they are delicious in a brothy soup. I usually make a pasta dish the first night and then freeze the rest for another night. They are good in the freezer for two months. Lastly, these meatballs are also baked on parchment-lined baking sheets, making cleanup easier.
Claudia Alexander, a resident of Marin County, has been happily cooking for family and friends for more than three decades. She has a weekly food blog, sweetbynurture.com. You can contact her at sweetbynurture@gmail.com.
Recipe
Chicken Meatballs with Escarole and Rigatoni
Makes 2 dozen meatballs, half for this pasta recipe (2 to 3 servings), the other 12 for another dish — see above.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
¾ cup of finely diced yellow onion
3 ounces of pancetta, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound of ground chicken
1 cup of panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup of milk
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons of flat-leafed parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
½ pound of rigatoni or any other tubular pasta
½ head of escarole, washed and chopped but not dried
Parmigiano-Reggiano to grate over the pasta
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
To make the meatballs, put the olive oil, onion, two cloves of garlic and pancetta in a sauté pan over medium-low heat and cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions soften. Take the pan off the heat and let cool slightly. Don’t wash the pan — you will use it later for the escarole.
In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley and milk, and combine. Add the slightly cooled onion mixture into the bowl and toss to combine evenly. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and roll the meatballs into small balls about the size of walnuts. Mix the tomato paste with a tablespoon of water and brush the mixture on top of the meatballs. Bake in a preheated oven for 18 minutes.
While the meatballs are cooking, fill a large pot with three quarts of water and bring to a boil, then add pasta. Cook according to package, about 11 minutes till al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, toss the remaining clove of minced garlic into the sauté pan over medium heat. Stir for 20 seconds then toss in the escarole and using tongs, turn the wet leaves to cover them with garlic. Shake the pan and when the escarole starts to wilt, turn off heat.
When the pasta is cooked, drain and turn into a big bowl. Add the escarole, and about 12 meatballs. Dust with Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve.
— Adapted from Gourmet
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