Tangy Garlic Herb Spaghetti with Chicken Meatballs.
This one is a favorite. Like, the kind of meal that if you make once, you’ll make a hundred times.
Zesty. Tangy. Fresh. Lean. Comfort.
All good words. All perfectly sum up this tasty one dish dinner. You can use Jovial brown rice pasta for an amazing gluten free meal. And prep this meal one week ahead, or pop in the freezer for a tasty dinner two months from now!
Recipe
Baked Meatballs
1 lb. chicken
1 egg
1/2 C. panko breadcrumbs
1/2 C. grated parmesan
1 T. olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Garlic Herb Pasta
8 oz brown rice pasta
3 T. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp lemon zest
3-4 C. fresh spinach, chopped
1 T. dried parsley
1/2 C. parmesan, grated
1/4 C. water (more or less as needed)
a squeeze of lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and parmesan cheese to finish
To Make
Baked Meatballs: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all meatball ingredients. Roll into small balls. Place on baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with avocado oil to prevent sticking. Bake for 25-30 min. Pasta Prep: Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. Sauté: Melt butter in a large skillet, add garlic and lemon zest. Sauté for a few minutes, add spinach/parsley and cook until just wilted. Finish It Off: Add pasta, meatballs, and Parmesan. Toss to combine. Add water as needed to loosen it up and make it a little more creamy. Add seasoning to taste – including a final squeeze of lemon!
To Meal Prep
To meal prep 4-5 days ahead, I like to cook the noodles until al dente, rinse and store in a container. Mix and roll the meatballs, then store in a container. All you have to do to prep is heat the meatballs, and mix the noodles with the toppings! Walla! Dinner in 10 minutes!
For longer storage: just freeze the noodle and meatball containers . . . thaw overnight, and proceed as usual! As long as the noodles are slightly firm the first time you finish cooking them, reheating them will be no issue! I do like to reheat pene pasta or “curly cue” pasta vs. Spaghetti pasta that can become a bit more “stick-in-a-clump.”
Pair With
Green Salad is always our go to with this dish!