Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Sausage Balls, Tomato-Basil Sauce, Cacio e Pepe Potatoes and Roast Broccolini
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 4 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 4 servings
- Calories
- 1273
- Total Fat
- 88
- Saturated Fat
- 25
- Carbohydrates
- 71
- Dietary Fiber
- 13
- Sugar
- 13
- Protein
- 58
- Cholesterol
- 191
- Sodium
- 2366
- Total: 1 hr
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 40 min
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.