Spinach, Chicken, & Veal Meatballs with Cashew Pesto & Bucatini
Spinach, Chicken, & Veal Meatballs with Cashew Pesto & Bucatini
Meatballs:
2 cups of packed baby spinach, chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 pound of ground chicken
1 pound of ground veal
½ cup of breadcrumbs
½ cup of milk
½ cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of onion powder
2 tablespoons of ketchup
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 egg
5-finger pinch of kosher salt
5-finger pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Cashew Pesto:
2 cups of packed fresh basil leaves
3 cloves of garlic, roasted
¼ cup of cashews
½ cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
2/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup of filtered water
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound of Bucatini, or your favorite pasta
Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large skillet, sauté the spinach with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, until wilted and tender.
To make the meatballs, add all of the meatball ingredients into a large mixing bowl and, using your hands, gently mix until the ingredients are just combined.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and gently roll meatball mixture into 1.5-inch balls. If the mixture is too loose, add some more breadcrumbs.
Bake the meatballs for 22-24 minutes, until cooked all the way through. Then switch the oven to broiler and broil on high for about 4-5 minutes until the meatballs are nice and browned on top.
In the meantime, make the cashew pesto by blending all the ingredients in a blender, until smooth.
Cook the bucatini (pasta) al dente, according to box instructions. Reserving some pasta water.
Gently toss the pasta with the cashew pesto and top with the meatballs. Drizzle with olive oil, serve & enjoy!