Pasta with Chicken Meatballs

Raise your hand if you miss natural light? ::raises hand:: My photos are nothing special in the spring and summer, but once I lose the natural light all bets are off. And it makes me so sad because I know people choose recipes in part because of the drool-inducing photos. So, my apologies, but you'll have to trust me that this was incredible.

On our flight home from California SP and I both watched cooking shows on the plane. During an episode of Giada's show she made Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs. It looked so delicious I knew I had to make it as soon as we got home.

I made a few modifications, subbing campagnelle for the orecchiette since I had a box in the pantry. Really, any small shape will do. I also used diced tomatoes because I'm weird and don't like loose tomato skin. Because I used canned tomatoes, I measured out the liquid in the can and then topped it off with chicken broth.

This was truly outstanding, with light, tender meatballs and a delicious sauce made even better by the addition of fresh, melty, gooey mozzarella cheese. The recipe made enough food to feed an army, which was good because we were all fighting over the leftovers.

Pasta with Chicken Meatballs
Slightly adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound small cut pasta, such as orecchiette, campagnelle, penne, etc.
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon ketchup
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground chicken
1/4 cup olive oil
chicken stock (amount will vary, see directions)
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, juice reserved
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or more Pecorino
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, milk, ketchup, cheese, and the salt and pepper. Add the chicken and gently stir to combine. With wet hands (this is key, otherwise the chicken will just stick to you rather than form into meatballs), roll the chicken into mini meatballs. Make them as big or as small as you want. You'll need to wet your hands often so keep a bowl of water nearby.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook without moving until brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn the meatballs over and brown the other side, about 2 minutes longer.

Add the juice from the tomatoes to a large measuring cup. Add enough chicken stock to make 1 1/2 cups total. Add the chicken stock, tomato juice and tomatoes to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Add the pasta to the skillet. Add the Parmesan and toss, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Add the mozzarella cheese and chopped basil. Gently toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce

I love shrimp but I feel like I make the same recipes over and over again. I went searching through my recipe file for something new and came across this recipe for Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce. I also Googled it to see what other food bloggers thought and it received nothing but rave reviews.


I think a full pound of pasta is a little too much for this recipe and would cut it in half next time. The sauce was creamy and flavorful from the herbs. Even Baby Girl loved this, although she wasn't interested in the shrimp. Silly girl.

Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce
Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis

1/2 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup clam juice
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the shrimp turn pink and is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and set aside.

Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup parsley, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, clam juice, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the cooked shrimp, the cooked pasta, and the remaining herbs. Toss together until all ingredients are coated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve immediately.

Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayo

Delicious. That about sums up my feelings on this amazing burger.


If you were to judge a recipe by the number of ingredients, these Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayo shouldn't be as nearly good as they are. But man, are they good. I seriously considered having two for dinner the night I made these, they were that good.

Once again, I ground my own chicken. If you have chicken breasts and a food processor there's no reason to buy ground chicken, in my opinion. I really enjoyed being able to pick the rosemary from my herb garden. That's one of the reasons it's taken me so long to make these. I've had the recipe printed for ages, ever since I saw Giada make them on her show, but I hate paying upwards of $3 for rosemary at the supermarket.

Make these soon. They'll be making another appearance on our table for sure.

Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayo
Giada De Laurentiis

Mayonnaise:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 clove garlic, minced

Burgers:
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 sandwich rolls or burger buns
1 cup arugula, divided

For the mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, garlic, and rosemary; set aside.

For the burgers: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 of the mayonnaise mixture. Using clean hands, gently combine the ingredients and form the chicken mixture into 4 patties. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.

Brush the cut side of each roll with 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise mixture. Toast until golden brown.

To assemble the burgers: Spread a dollop of the remaining mayonnaise mixture on the tops and bottoms of the toasted buns. Place the chicken burgers on the bottom halves of the buns. Top each with 1/4 cup of arugula and finish with the top half of the bun.

Creamy Pasta with Mushrooms

Trying to get caught up with posts again. I'm sorry for the backlog.

I think I made this meal on New Year's Day. SP asked for a creamy pasta dish with mushrooms. One of the cookbooks I got for Christmas was Giada's Everyday Pasta. This recipe (see bottom of post) originally calls for farfelle pasta but my mom got me pappardelle for Christmas so I used that instead.


SP absolutely loved this dish. I did, too, despite not being a fan of blue cheese. The gorgonzola added a wonderful creamy bite to the sauce. Definitely a winner and definitely something that will be repeated soon.

I served the pasta with the same recipe warm spinach salad I'd made recently:


Just as good as last time and so simple to make. Yum!

Farfalle with Creamy Mushroom Gorgonzola Sauce
Giada De Laurentiis

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
5 ounces creamy gorgonzola cheese, cubed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound assorted mushrooms
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
16 ounces Farfalle (or other pasta of your choice)


Melt butter in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat. Add the Gorgonzola and stir until melted. Season with the sauce to taste salt and pepper. Set aside and cover to keep warm.

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until tender and golden, about 12 minutes. Stir in the peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the farfalle and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, about 10 minutes. Drain. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl.

Add the Gorgonzola sauce and mushroom mixture, and toss to coat. Season the pasta to taste with salt and pepper, and serve