Chicken Meatball Casserole
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 648
- Total Fat
- 25
- Saturated Fat
- 9
- Carbohydrates
- 70
- Dietary Fiber
- 7
- Sugar
- 9
- Protein
- 38
- Cholesterol
- 107
- Sodium
- 959
- Total: 1 hr 35 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 40 min
Ingredients
Meatballs:
Nonstick cooking spray, for the baking sheet and baking dish
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup grated yellow onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
Casserole:
Kosher salt
One 16-ounce box mezzi rigatoni or mezze penne
One 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Directions
- For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix together the chicken, pumpkin, Parmesan, onion, parsley, salt, pepper and garlic in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes.
- Shape the mixture into balls using a tablespoon and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- For the casserole: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook 3 minutes less than the package instructions. Reserve 1/3 cup pasta water and drain.
- Toss the pasta with the marinara sauce and pasta water in a large bowl. Transfer to the greased baking dish. Nestle the meatballs into the pasta. Top with the mozzarella and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan.