Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti

These chicken meatballs are super delicious and quick to prepare. They are paired well with this simple pasta sauce and spaghetti.

For our recipe, we have used the CBL Munchee Super Cream Cracker, provided to us by one of our partners, Pyramid. These are extra crunchy crackers, that are sugar free, with no added flavours or colours. CBL Munchee Super Cream Crackers are Sri Lanka’s number 1 cracker brand. They are so good with tea and coffee, or just to use in such recipes.

Serving size: 2-3 people

Ingredients:

For the meatballs

• 180-190g boneless chicken (cut to 1.5-inch chunks)
• 6 Munchee Super Cream Crackers
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 ½ tbsp olive oil (for cooking)

For cooking pasta

• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 150g spaghetti

For the pasta sauce

• 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• ¾ tsp chilli flakes
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 medium tomato (diced)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/3 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ cup cooking cream
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Instructions:

1. To start off, add 180-190g boneless chicken (cut to 1.5-inch chunks) to a medium-sized blender and pulse for around 10 to 15 times until it is minced. Make sure not to blend too much, and leave some texture in the meat. Add to a large bowl and set aside.
2. Wash and dry the blender well and add 6 Munchee Super Cream Crackers after breaking them into large pieces. Blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute until it becomes fine crumbs.
3. To the bowl with the minced chicken, add the biscuit crumbs, 2 eggs, 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp chilli powder, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp oregano. With a glove on, mix the meatball mixture using your hand until evenly combined. Then make 11 to 12 balls of equal size and set aside.
4. To a large pot, add 4 cups water along with 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil on high heat. This took us around 7 to 8 minutes. Add 150g spaghetti and cook for 13 to 15 minutes or until soft and chewy. Save ¼ cup pasta water and drain the rest. Set aside the cooked spaghetti.
5. In a large pan, heat up 1 ½ tbsp olive oil for 30 seconds on medium heat. Place in the meatballs (make sure they are not touching each other) and cook on medium heat for 16 to 17 minutes with a lid on, rotating them every few minutes to get an even browning. Remove them to a plate and set aside.
6. To the same pan, add in another 1 ½ tbsp olive oil and heat on low for 1 minute. Then add 3 garlic cloves (minced), ¾ tsp chilli flakes, and ½ tsp dried oregano. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on low heat until the garlic is golden in colour.
7. Next, add 1 medium tomato (diced) and cook for 3 minutes on medium heat until they are pulpy. You can squish the tomato pieces using a spatula while cooking.
8. Then add in 1 tbsp tomato paste along with 1/3 tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground black pepper. Sauté on low heat for another 2 minutes.
9. Now, add in the ¼ cup pasta water, ½ cup cooking cream, and 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley. Mix well, then add in the chicken meatballs and mix again. Cover with a lid and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on low heat, stirring every minute or so.
10. Lastly, add in the cooked spaghetti. Mix well and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Enjoy!