Description
A comforting and creamy pasta dish with tender chicken ricotta meatballs in a rich spinach Alfredo sauce. Perfect for a cozy meal!
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Spinach Alfredo Sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Meatballs:
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan, egg, breadcrumbs, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.
- Form Meatballs: Shape the mixture into meatballs about 1–1.5 inches in diameter and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the meatballs are golden and fully cooked through, with an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
Spinach Alfredo Sauce:
- Sauté Garlic: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add Cream and Parmesan: Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese, allowing it to melt and thicken the sauce.
- Add Spinach: Add the chopped spinach and cook until wilted and incorporated into the sauce, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve:
- Combine and Serve: Place meatballs on top of pasta (if desired) and pour the spinach Alfredo sauce over them. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to use gluten-free breadcrumbs to make the dish gluten-free.
- For added flavor, consider incorporating fresh herbs like basil or parsley into the meatball mixture.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 100mg