Food Network: Mini Chicken Sausage Meatballs with Gnocchi and Tomato Sauce

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Mini Chicken Sausage Meatballs with Gnocchi and Tomato Sauce
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Ingredients
Salt
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
1 teaspoon, 1/3 palm full, fennel seeds
1/4 cup tender sun-dried tomatoes (available in pouches or tubs in produce
section)
1 cup, 20 leaves fresh basil, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some to drizzle
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, eyeball it in your palm

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Pepper
1 pound gnocchi, potato dumplings, from refrigerated or frozen foods section of
market
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, 1/2 cup – a couple of handfuls, plus
some to pass at table
Crusty bread, to pass at table
Peppery Salad, recipe follows

Instructions
Bring a pot of water to a boil for gnocchi. Salt
boiling water but wait a while to drop in gnocchi.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place chicken in a medium bowl with grill seasoning and fennel seeds. Pile
sun-dried tomatoes on top of each other in small stacks then slice into thin
strips. Coarsely chop the thin strips and add to bowl. Stack the basil leaves
together then roll them up into a log. Shred the basil by thinly slicing the log.
Add the half the basil to the bowl. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the bowl.
Mix chicken together, roll into mini balls, 1 1/2 inches across, and arrange on a
nonstick cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 to12 minutes or until firm and
lightly golden.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. To the hot skillet, add extra-virgin olive
oil, 2 turns of the pan then the garlic, onions and crushed red pepper flakes.
Cook until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and

season sauce with salt and pepper.

Drop gnocchi in boiling water and cook 5 minutes or to package directions.

Stir basil into sauce to wilt it. Drain gnocchi and arrange on a platter. Remove
balls from oven and add to gnocchi, equally distributing them. Sprinkle cheese
over meatballs and hot dumplings then top with sauce by carefully ladling it all
over and around the platter. Gently toss to combine then serve with crusty bread
and Peppery Salad.

Peppery Salad:
2 teaspoons steak seasoning
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, eyeball it

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
6 large radishes, thinly sliced
1 green Italian cubanelle pepper, seeded and very thinly sliced
4 scallions, chopped on an angle
1 cup chopped pickled green beans, available on condiment aisle, or hot pickled
Italian vegetable salad, Giardiniera, drained well
2 bunches, 6 cups, arugula, cleaned and trimmed, coarsely chopped
Handful flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
Salt

Place the steak seasoning and vinegar in the bottom of a small bowl then whisk in
extra-virgin olive oil and let dressing stand 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the radishes, peppers, pickled vegetables, arugula and parsley to a salad

bowl. When you're ready to serve the salad, dress it, toss and season it with
salt, if necessary, to taste.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: none
Ease of preparation: easy