Penne And Meatballs With Red Pepper Sauce

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 2/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon instant minced garlic (or 1 clove garlic, minced)
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 large sweet red pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or 1 1/2 cup water with 1 1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon powder)
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon instant minced garlic (or 1 clove garlic, minced)
• 1 (12 ounce) can fat-free evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry (optional)
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce (optional)
• salt and pepper
• 10 ounces penne pasta

Recipe

• 1 cook penne pasta according to package directions; drain, rinse, and keep warm.
• 2 in a bowl, combine chicken, bread crumbs, egg, cumin, garlic, parsley flakes, salt, and pepper.
• 3 mix and shape into 1 inch meatballs.
• 4 spray a non-stick skillet and lightly brown meatballs, about 10 minutes.
• 5 (note: you can roast red pepper in 425f oven for 20 minutes if desired. remove seeds and skin before using. this step is optional) seed red pepper and quarter; place in blender with chicken broth; pulse until pepper is pureed.
• 6 add blender contents to skillet with garlic and green onion; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
• 7 remove meatballs to a plate.
• 8 in blender, combine evaporated milk and flour; buzz until blended.
• 9 add evaporated milk to skillet and whisk until contents of skillet come to a boil; continue to cook 1-2 minutes.
• 10 add dry sherry and hot pepper sauce if desired, and salt and pepper to taste.
• 11 return meatballs to pan.
• 12 serve over hot penne pasta.