Recipe(tried): Cheesy Stuffed Chicken Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

This recipe comes from Rachael Ray, DH loved it. I used ground turkey breast and simplified it by using jarred Fat-Free Mushroom Marinara sauce from Trader Joes for the sauce, adding a can of crushed tomatoes and some water to it to make enough sauce. As Rachael says, YUM-O!

CHEESY STUFFED CHICKEN MEATBALLS IN MARINARA SAUCE

1 pound spaghetti, uncooked
3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped, divided
1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, crushed with your hands or back of a wooden spoon
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 pound ground all-white meat chicken
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup (a couple of generous handfuls) bread crumbs
3/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (4-ounce) piece mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
10 leaves of fresh basil, chopped

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, add a generous handful of salt along with the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions.

Place a medium-size sauce pan over medium-high heat, add EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil). Add half of the garlic and cook until it starts to get lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, cook for 8-10 minutes and season with salt and pepper.

While sauce is simmering, place the ground chicken in a medium-size mixing bowl and add the egg, milk, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of grated cheese, the other half of the garlic and the parsley.

Season the chicken mixture with salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients together and roll into 12 medium-size meatballs, each about 2 inches round.

Place a piece of cheese into the center of each meatball and maneuver the meat around the cheese to seal it in the middle. Place the meatballs in the tomato sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until cooked through.

Pour meatballs and sauce over the cooked pasta, sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese and basil, and serve.

Yields 4 servings