Chicken Sausage Meatball and Broccoli Pasta Bowl

The meatball is a little spicy so add the crushed red pepper sparingly if you're not a heat freak.

PHOTO BY MARK WEINBERG

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 pound of ground chicken 2 tablespoons of crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons of granulated garlic

One and a half tablespoons of salt

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

Two teaspoons of granulated sugar

Two teaspoons of crushed fennel seeds

One huge egg (or two small ones)

1 cup of unseasoned panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

Integrating all components

2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

Four cloves of minced garlic

One-quarter teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

The previously prepared meatballs

2 cups of chicken broth, split (1/1)

10 ounces of dry penne pasta

Five heaping cups of tiny, fresh broccoli florets

1 pinch of salt and pepper, adjusted to preference

1/4 cup of grated Parmesan for garnishing

Instructions

Meatballs

1. Thoroughly amalgamate all ingredients, excluding the oil, in a mixing bowl. Seal and chill for 2 to 4 hours.

2. Following chilling, shape the mixture into moderately sized (1 1/2-inch) meatballs. Heat the oil in a big skillet and sear the meatballs on both sides, in batches if required. Transfer the meatballs to paper towels to drain. Retain the drippings in the skillet.

Integrating all components

1. Incorporate the 2 tablespoons of oil into the saved drippings in the skillet and sauté the garlic and crushed red pepper for approximately one minute until aromatic. Incorporate the meatballs and one cup of chicken broth. Deactivate the heat while you prepare the pasta and broccoli.

2. Commence cooking the penne in a big pot according to the package instructions, incorporating the second cup of chicken broth into the pasta water. The penne need 10 to 11 minutes for cooking. Approximately at the 8-minute mark, incorporate the broccoli florets into the boiling pasta and continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes. As the pasta cooks, commence heating the meatballs in the skillet over medium heat.

3. Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving one to two cups of the pasta water, and incorporate the mixture into the skillet containing the meatballs. Incorporate additional pasta water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then garnish with Parmesan.