Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Sausage Balls, Tomato-Basil Sauce, Cacio e Pepe Potatoes and Roast Broccolini

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2008

Show: 30 Minute MealsEpisode: Supermarket Sweep

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (38)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(38)

Cook Time:
40 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 40 min
Total:: 1 hr 0 min

Recipe Tools:

Select a Card Size

Add To My Recipe Box

Success

This recipe was added to your Folder_Name folder.

Do not show this message again

Add To My Recipe Box

Please sign in to add this recipe to your Recipe Box.

Ingredients

9-item grocery list:

2 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes
1 tub bocconcini, bite size fresh mozzarella in water
2 pounds Italian hot or sweet fresh chicken, turkey or pork sausage, bulk if available
1 1/2 pounds broccolini
1 head garlic
1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken stock or milk
1 tub grated Pecorino Romano
1 tub good quality fresh pesto from the refrigerated cases of the market

On hand:

Extra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling, 4 to 5 tablespoons total
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Quarter baby potatoes and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil then salt water and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.

While potatoes come up to a boil, place a nonstick baking sheet alongside a mixing bowl. Remove 12 pieces of bite sized mozzarella from the water and set on work surface. Remove sausages from casings, if bulk not available, and place in a bowl. Combine the meat into a single mound then score it into 4 sections. Each section will yield 3 large sausage meatballs. To form each ball, take a handful of meat and wrap it around a piece of mozzarella. Roll 12 balls. Wash up. Coat balls with a drizzle of olive oil. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until cooked through and evenly browned.

While the balls are cooking, trim ends of clean broccolini and scatter evenly over a baking sheet. Grate or chop 2 to 3 cloves of garlic and drizzle the broccolini and garlic with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and roast 12 to 15 minutes to crisp the broccolini tops.

While the broccolini is roasting, add tomatoes to a small pot or skillet, mash with a potato masher and season with salt and pepper. Heat over medium heat then simmer to reduce about 8 to 10 minutes.

When the potatoes are tender, drain and return to the hot pot to dry them out a little. Mash the potatoes with 1/2 cup stock or milk, 1/2 to 2/3 cup grated Romano cheese, a few generous handfuls, lots of black pepper and a little salt.

Turn the heat off the tomatoes and stir in 1/2 cup prepared pesto.

Serve three cheese-stuffed sausage balls with tomato-basil sauce on top or underneath, cacio e pepe smashed potatoes and broccolini alongside.

Next Recipe

More recipes? Try these recommendations:

Picture of Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Sausage Balls, Tomato-Basil Sauce, Cacio e Pepe Potatoes and Roast Broccolini Recipe

Photo: Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Sausage Balls, Tomato-Basil Sauce, Cacio e Pepe Potatoes and Roast Broccolini

Similar Recipes

All About…

Recipe Collections

Showing 1-10 of 18

View all 18 Italian Collections

Comments & Reviews

recipe Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Sausage Balls, Tomato-Basil Sauce, Cacio e Pepe Potatoes and Roast Broccolini
Darlene Mt vernon, OH 08-03-2009
Flag

so simple and soooo good
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

tim and i really loved this recipe its hard to believe that something so simple and easy and so good. the tomatoe and pesto... sauce rocked and we put the happy face sticker on this one. we rate by the way the happy face is postioned on the recipe. thank you rach and i will keep making your recipe and exploring with new foods.Read more
recipe Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Sausage Balls, Tomato-Basil Sauce, Cacio e Pepe Potatoes and Roast Broccolini
Jennifer Center, TX 07-23-2009
Flag

That was amazing!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I absolutely loved the idea of this recipe! I did not have all the ingredients on hand, but I just used what I had on hand.... It turned out great. My kids loved helping me with the meatballs. It was a hit, ThanksRead more
recipe Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Sausage Balls, Tomato-Basil Sauce, Cacio e Pepe Potatoes and Roast Broccolini
lora bentonville, AR 07-12-2009
Flag

yummy
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

this was a good recipe. the whole family helped. Next time though i would use hambuger instead of sausage. I put parmesan... cheese in my potatoes it was great you got just a hint of cheese. im going to make this again for the rest of my famliy.Read more
recipe Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Sausage Balls, Tomato-Basil Sauce, Cacio e Pepe Potatoes and Roast Broccolini
Marta E Austin, TX 06-03-2009
Flag

It was a hit.
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

As soon as I saw you prepare this meal I new I had to try it. My son-in-law loved the sauce. I used broccoli instead and my... neighbor liked that. I will pass this recipe on. This was such a treat and the best thing is that it was easy to make and not much time to make it. Thank you. Keep up the good work.Read more
recipe Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Sausage Balls, Tomato-Basil Sauce, Cacio e Pepe Potatoes and Roast Broccolini
Rebecca Sellersville, PA 05-18-2009
Flag

My Family loved this.....
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

First I just want to say we love the roasted veggies~~it gives it an unique taste~~one that we now crave. The meatballs were... superb I used regular sausage as we could not find chicken sausage. It was so easy to do the kids loved helping me with dinner tonight. The potatoes were very good and a good alternative to just plain potatoes. Thanks for the great recipes and getting my kids in the kitchen ~~finally! Read more
recipe Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Sausage Balls, Tomato-Basil Sauce, Cacio e Pepe Potatoes and Roast Broccolini
Melissa Overland Park, KS 05-14-2009
Flag

Easy and Good
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I wish I could rate all three recipes separately. The roasted broccolini is excellent - this is actually the method I... usually use to make broccolini (and broccoli). I love the flavor that roasting gives the vegetable. The potatoes are really good too. The romano cheese adds something different to basic mashed potatoes. The other reviewers that say these potatoes are awful just don't know how to cook. Add the cheese slowly and taste as you go along. Everyone has a different pallate. The meatballs were just average. I really like the idea of stuffing them with mozzarella but there was something that just didn't work for me. Maybe it was the sausage... Either way, I will definitely make this again, but instead of the sausage I will use my meatball recipe. All in all, a really easy menu and really quick!Read more