One-Pot Puttanesca Chicken Meatballs and Cavatelli
This one-pot puttanesca chicken meatball and cavatelli dinner browns chicken meatballs then cooks dry cavatelli directly in a bold puttanesca sauce for an easy deeply flavored Italian-inspired dinner ready in 45 minutes.
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Ingredients
The Chicken Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 tbsp cottage cheese
- 1 tbsp CTH seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- Olive oil for pan frying
The Puttanesca Cavatelli
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 jar 24 oz Italians Do It Better Olive You Puttanesca sauce
- 3 cups chicken broth plus more as needed
- 12 oz dry cavatelli
- 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- Cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Handful of fresh spinach optional
- Fresh basil or parsley optional for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, cottage cheese, CTH, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix until just combined. Form into small even meatballs.
- Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet or braiser over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs for about 2 minutes per side. They don't need to be cooked through yet. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet sauté the diced onion for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Pour in the entire jar of puttanesca sauce and the 3 cups of chicken broth. Add the Italian seasoning and cracked black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Pour the dry cavatelli directly into the sauce and stir well. Nestle the browned meatballs back into the skillet. Cover and reduce to medium-low.
- Cook for 15 to 18 minutes stirring the pasta around the meatballs every few minutes to prevent sticking. If the sauce thickens before the pasta is tender add broth 1/4 cup at a time. The meatballs need to reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Once the cavatelli is al dente turn off the heat. Stir in the spinach if using and the Parmesan. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
The tablespoon of cottage cheese in the meatball mixture is the detail that keeps ground chicken meatballs moist and tender rather than dense and dry. Ground chicken has very little fat and needs the extra moisture. It's completely undetectable in the finished meatball.
Brown the meatballs in batches without crowding the pan. Crowding drops the temperature and produces steamed grey meatballs rather than golden browned ones. A good sear on each meatball adds significant flavor to the finished dish.
Keep extra broth nearby during the pasta cook. Different brands of dried cavatelli absorb at different rates and some need more liquid than others to cook through properly. Add it gradually rather than all at once.
Stir the pasta around the meatballs every few minutes rather than constantly. Frequent stirring keeps the cavatelli from sticking to the bottom without breaking up the meatballs that are nestled in the sauce.
Brown the meatballs in batches without crowding the pan. Crowding drops the temperature and produces steamed grey meatballs rather than golden browned ones. A good sear on each meatball adds significant flavor to the finished dish.
Keep extra broth nearby during the pasta cook. Different brands of dried cavatelli absorb at different rates and some need more liquid than others to cook through properly. Add it gradually rather than all at once.
Stir the pasta around the meatballs every few minutes rather than constantly. Frequent stirring keeps the cavatelli from sticking to the bottom without breaking up the meatballs that are nestled in the sauce.
