Chicken Meatballs and Orzo in Red Pepper Sauce
You must try my chicken meatballs and orzo in red pepper sauce, it is the perfect meal to share with family and friends. The sauce is bursting with roasted red peppers. The tender meatballs add a healthy protein to the dish, and the orzo pasta is the perfect addition to grab onto the homemade sauce. Top off the dish with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil. Enjoy!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 LB Ground Chicken
- ¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Mustard (yellow or Dijon)
- ½ tsp Salt
- Black Pepper
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- 2 whole Roasted Red Peppers
- ¼ cup Walnuts
- ¼ cup Fresh Basil
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Honey
- ½ tsp Salt
Pasta
- 1 cup Orzo Pasta
- ½ medium Onion
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 6 oz Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions
- Start by making the sauce. Add the roasted red peppers, walnuts, basil, garlic, salt/ pepper and honey to a blender or food processor. Mix on high for a minute until a smooth sauce forms. Dice the onion and garlic and set aside.
- Prepare the chicken meatballs. Add ground chicken, panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, dried oregano, mustard, salt, and pepper to a medium sized bowl. Mix the ingredients until well combined. You may have to use your hands to mix well. Roll the chicken mixture into 11 or 12 meatballs.
- Bring a pot of water with a generous pinch of salt to a boil. Once the water is boiling add the orzo pasta and cook as instructed on the package. Cook until al dente. Before you drain the pasta, carefully reserve some pasta water, about a cup of water.
- Pre heat a large pan to medium heat. Add olive oil to the pan along with the chicken meatballs. Sear the chicken meatballs for about 4 minutes on each side.
- After meatballs are browned on both sides add in onion and garlic saute on medium heat for 1 minute. Add the roasted red pepper sauce and ½ cup pasta water. Give the meatballs a stir and turn the temperature to low. Cover with a lid and let the meatballs simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add in cooked orzo and mix, if the sauce is too thick add more pasta water. Top the dish with mozzarella cheese, cover with a lid to melt the cheese. This should only take a few minutes. If desired, top with more basil and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
This recipe requires a little bit of multitasking, take your time, this recipe is very forgiving. The consistency of the sauce is all about feeling, start with ½ cup of pasta water, you can always add more if you need to thin the sauce out. You can substitute your favorite cheese.