Spaghetti tossed with Spicy Tomatoes and Arugula with Chicken Meatballs

I need to come up with a catchier, less wordy title for this dish. 

Friends and family often say to me, "Teanna, you need to post simpler things on your blog. Your recipes are too complicated."

And to them I say, "What? You mean people don't like to sweat, curse, and cry in their kitchens while trying to juggle tons of ingredients, 3 burners and an oven like I do?"

But my friends and family are right. Sometimes simple is best.  Yes, I like challenging recipes, but there are nights where I just want to throw something together with what is in my pantry.

Oh, and when I say "pantry", I mean "make-shift shelving that hovers between my kitchen and living room". This is New York City. There are no pantries in New York City unless you are a bajillionaire. 

Last night, I opened my freezer and stared into its meager depths.  Frozen fruit, veggie sausages, ice, frozen mocha buttercream (Seriously. I don't even know if you can freeze buttercream, but I did), short ribs... ah! Ground chicken.  I always keep ground chicken on hand to make my favorite go-to, simple dish: Chicken Meatballs.

I normally serve these chicken meatballs as a salad atop arugula and sprinkled with fontina cheese with a basil pesto vinaigrette, which was inspired by a favorite lunch place of mine, Penelopes (I love to adapt salads that I have at restaurants).  But this time, I wanted something different. I rummaged through my make-shift shelving.  I have 15 different types of pasta (all people should have 15 different types of pasta. You'll never know when the mood will strike for trottoloni. I'm still not even sure what trottolini is, but I bought it because it looked cool), but grabbed what tugged at my heartstrings: spaghetti. I plucked a can of San Marzano pomodori pelati (whole peeled tomatoes) from the shelves, grabbed some fresh arugula and a half a ball of mozzarella from the fridge, and, finally, a head of garlic.  I didn't know where I was going, but I knew wherever I ended up, it would be delicious. 

I ended up making a quick sauce out of the tomatoes (sans juice), garlic, and a bit of olive oil and tossed my al dente spaghetti with said sauce and some fresh arugula.  I shaved some fresh mozzarella on top and topped my dish with three tender chicken meatballs.  I was in heaven. 

So no crying, cursing, and very little sweating went on in my kitchen that night. Maybe I'll start to like the simpler things. 

 

Spaghetti tossed with Spicy Tomatoes and Arugula with Chicken Meatballs

For the Meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

For the Sauce:
1 35-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes (San Marzano, preferably)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 finely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

1- pound spaghetti (or other type of macaroni)
1 cup loosely packed asparagus
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

For the Meatballs: Preheat oven to 350F. Line a two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl until just incorporated. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Roll meatballs into 12 balls, approximately 2" in diameter. 

Arrange meatballs approximately 2" apart on baking sheets. Bake for 20-minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. 

For the Sauce: Remove the whole tomatoes from the can.  Reserve the juice for another use.  Roughly chop tomatoes (keep the juices that come out of the tomatoes for the sauce). Set aside. 

Heat 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  When glistening, add garlic and cook until garlic is brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes (and their juices) to pan and let cook for 2 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened.  Add parsley and red pepper.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Set aside until ready to use. 

To Assemble:  Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Drain and add arugula. Toss with sauce until arugula is just wilted. Sprinkle mozzarella atop spaghetti and serve immediately. 

Comments

[Anna]

Ah! I know what you mean, I hear that all the time, that I should do simpler recipes. But the fun is actually to challenge myself or better yet ( I'm no Rachel Ray). My "pantry" is my front door closet LOL, and I'm in LA. Loved your pasta looks delicious and EASY, right?

[jenn (Bread + Butter)]

I'm fine with the title of this dish. It's more than enough to whet my appetite right now.

[Eliana]

Looks absolutely delicious Teanna. And I too buy pasta because it looks cool. It's one of my not-so-guity pleasure :)

[Alta]

This would hit the spot right now. Such delicious comfort food, without being overly heavy. Perfect.

[Tracey]

Spaghetti and meatballs - simple, but absolutely delicious!! It's one of my favorites for sure and yours looks awesome.

[Jen]

This looks perfect! I love that you added the arugula right in with the pasta!

[DailyChef]

Personally, I love the complexity of your recipes! Day to day, though, something quick/easy/delicious/healthy/perfect is always hard to come by. I'm starving right now - spaghetti and meatballs would hit the spot!

[A Bowl Of Mush]

Sounds delicious!
I make something very similar with chicken sausages as one of my staple, quick dinners!

Must try these meatballs! :)

[Dorothy]

That is one gorgeous pasta dish! I've never had arugula or chicken meatballs, but I'm anxious to try out your recipe :)

[Martin Leon]

This looks positively delicious! I don't hide from unleashing a war zone in my kitchen while cooking, but from time to time it's nice to do simpler things.

[grace]

now now, don't be so hard on yourself--the title is supposed to draw a diner in, and yours does that quite nicely! to be honest, i've never actually had spaghetti and meatballs at the same time, but your creation looks and sounds quite scrumptious!

[shelly (cookies and cups)]

This looks so yummy! I have never tried ground chicken in meatballs, but I bet it is great! We have just recently gotten into the San Marzano and they are definitely a superior tomato (oooh, I sound fancy ;)
Also, yes, you can freeze buttercream!

[Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction]

This spaghetti looks wonderful. I could eat a giant bowl of it right now (even though it's almost midnight)!

[Tonya Foreman]

What is the asparagus used for? I didn't see it included in the directions. Did I miss something?

[Uncle Putte]

Heh. I love the recipe, but I'll have to note that it seems people in bigger cities LIVE in what we bumpkins would consider pantries.

[Loans]

Oh my word - this sounds devine! Never had Chicken Meatballs but will be soon!

[Linn @ Swedish home cooking]

Mm, I love chicken meatballs. That was a long time ago though. I just moved to Paris so now it is mostly creamy sauces and a lot of meat. Nothing to complain about though.

[Soccer Jerseys]

I love the recipe, but I'll have to note that it seems people in bigger cities LIVE in what we bumpkins would consider pantries.

[MBT Shoes]

It's so nice to have you do all of the research for us. It makes our decision making so much easier!! Thanks.

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