These chicken ricotta meatballs, wrapped in the lightness of the cheese, and served with lots of sauce and flavor in the thick cream of spinach Alfredo can be called a dish to fill you up to even more than what pleases you now. Compromise-not. Something to love all to yourself? It’s a hearty, taste-bursting dish that will make you suffice and leave you feeling good about life’s little indulgence. Great for cuddling or celebration.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Because of creaminess and richness: Guests can love it because of the Alfredo tasting very creamy, created from Parmesan and blended with the earthy taste of fresh baby spinach.
For juicy meatballs: The meatballs of chicken, with the cheese of Ricotta, are quite tender and always juicy.
One skillet is enough: The rest of the meatballs and the sauce are cooked while the pasta cooks so that most meals could be ready in one plate.
Famous to many families: The Alfredo dish is just warm enough for a luxurious kid-friendly meal on any given weeknight or rather an amazing special day.
Key Ingredients
Ground Chicken: A mild flavor of the passable protein that allows perfectly creamy sauces to accompany it should be mixed with the breadcrumbs that are probably soaked in milk.
Ricotta Cheese: Meatballs are serene due to the crumb and subtle mixture that allow them to come together.
Parmesan Cheese: If you have extra, this item may be put in both the meatball and the sauce of the amazing Italian dish that contains all the rest.
Spinach: The spinach was added to the sauce lovingly to give it not only its wonderful dark green color but a kick of texture as plush as good cardinal red.
Heavy Cream: Heavy cream gives just the proper richness to the sauce, combining a unique, unctuous Parmesan flavor.
Italian Seasoning: The Italian seasoning is mixed with the ground beef, giving it the herbaceous flavor typical of most Italian dishes.
Garlic: Use garlic for flavoring, both in the meatballs and the sauce; otherwise, the meatballs would taste like cement.
Complete list of ingredients with quantities and instructions is located in the recipe card below
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Instructions:
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Set the Oven Temperature: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). This ensures the oven is hot and ready to bake the meatballs evenly.
Step 2: Make the Meatballs
Combine Ingredients:
In a large mixing bowl, combine:
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix everything together until well combined. Using your hands can help mix the ingredients more evenly.
Form Meatballs:
Roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs, ensuring uniform size for even cooking.
Tip: Dampen your hands with water to prevent the mixture from sticking.
Place the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 3: Bake the Meatballs
Bake Until Golden:
Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and lightly golden on the outside.
Step 4: Prepare the Spinach Alfredo Sauce
Melt the Butter:
In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the butter.
Sauté Garlic:
Add 1 minced garlic clove to the melted butter and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir constantly to prevent burning.
Add Cream and Parmesan:
Pour in 1 cup heavy cream and stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened.
Incorporate Spinach:
Add 2 cups chopped fresh spinach to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook until the spinach is wilted and well combined with the sauce.
Optional Flavor: Add a pinch of nutmeg or a splash of white wine for extra depth.
Step 5: Serve
Combine and Serve:
Plate your favorite cooked pasta, then top with the baked chicken ricotta meatballs. Generously ladle the Spinach Alfredo Sauce over the meatballs and pasta.
Garnish:
Sprinkle additional grated Parmesan cheese and freshly chopped parsley over the top for a finishing touch.
Serving Suggestions
Classic Matching: Enjoy it by placing meatballs and sauce over a bed of noodles made of fettuccine, spaghetti, or penne for a hefty serving of Italian.
Low-Carb Fares: Substitute zoodles—that’s zucchini noodles—cauliflower rice, or roasted spaghetti squash.
Garlic Bread: Dip garlic bread or rich focaccia into the sauce.
Side Green: A light-green-freshening salad would serve as an asset for this rich dish.
Storage and Reheating
Chill: If you save some leftovers, try and do it in an airproof cabinet in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Reheat them upon the stovetop. Keep the sauce runny by first frying the food in a frying pan under low flame, and then add a bit of milk or cream.
Freeze: Cut down on dirtying more dishes by separating the sauce from the baked meatballs and only freeze one receptacle completely. The baked meatballs should be thawed in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and combining with a fresh-appropriately prepared sauce.
Variations
Cheese Puffy: How about making the best meatballs? Insert small cubes of mozzarella and enjoy a gooey core of giant.
Herb Switch: As soon as the meatball mixture begins taking shape add fresh basil or oregano to deliver a crispy herb taste.
Chili Kick: A dash of heat received from red pepper flakes in the Alfredo sauce could be quite interesting.
Vegetarian Option: Swap the chicken for ground chickpeas or crumbled tofu for a veggie twist in the meatballs.
Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs in the meatballs, serve on gluten-free pasta.
Final Note
Chicken Ricotta Meatballs with Spinach Alfredo Sauce marry comfort to the dining table with an attitude of total elegance. It is all creamy tenderness and bursting forth with those vibrant flavors – something for pleasing family appetites or for standing out to impress your guests. Try it once, and you will never want to switch from there!
Chicken Ricotta Meatballs with Spinach Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for meatballs
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic minced, for meatballs
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste, for meatballs and sauce
- 2 tbsp butter for sauce
- 1 clove garlic minced, for sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese for sauce
- 2 cups fresh spinach chopped
- Cooked pasta for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). This ensures the oven is ready for baking the meatballs.
- In a mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, ricotta cheese, Parmesan, egg, breadcrumbs, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix well and form into 1-inch meatballs. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until cooked through and golden brown.
- In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic until fragrant. Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, stirring until smooth. Add chopped spinach, season with salt and pepper, and cook until spinach is wilted.
- Serve cooked pasta topped with baked chicken ricotta meatballs and generously ladle Spinach Alfredo Sauce over the top. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley if desired.
