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Bowl of Tuscan chicken meatballs with gnocchi on a green tea towel with a silver fork with a small bowls of sun-dried tomatoes and salt and pepper on the side.

Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi

Author: Stephanie Kay

These Tuscan chicken meatballs with gnocchi are the ultimate healthy comfort-food dinner. Plus, leftovers keep well in the fridge and freezer, so you can make a double or triple batch and enjoy for nights to come.

  • Author: Stephanie Kay
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
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Ingredients

Meatballs:

Tuscan Sauce:

To Serve:

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix by hand until well combined.
  2. Using your hands, roll the ground chicken mixture into 2-tablespoon portions, about the size of a golf ball. Shape them one at a time and set each meatball aside on a plate.
  3. In a large pan or skillet on medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add the meatballs and cook for 8-10 minutes, flipping the meatballs halfway through, until fully cooked or they have reached an internal temperature of 165°F. Once the meatballs are cooked, transfer them to a clean plate.
  4. Fill a large pot with water and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil.
  5. In the same pan used to cook the meatballs, on medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, then add the diced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until tender. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan and cook for an additional minute.
  6. Add the gnocchi to the pot of boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes or as per package directions. Once cooked, drain the water or scoop the gnocchi out with a slotted spoon. Set aside.
  7. In the pan with the onion mixture, reduce the heat to low-medium, add the chicken broth, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any tasty bits from the bottom of the pan. Then add the heavy cream and stir until well combined.
  8. Turn off the heat, then add the parmesan cheese and chopped spinach; stir to combine until the sauce thickens.
  9. Return the chicken meatballs to the pan, along with the cooked gnocchi, and gently stir to combine with the sauce.
  10. The meatballs and gnocchi can be served immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese on top, or cooled and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months.

Notes

To Use Ground Turkey: Swap the ground chicken for 1 pound of ground turkey in step #1.

To Use Dried Parsley: Swap the fresh parsley for 1 tablespoon of dried parsley in step #1.

To Use Onion Powder: Swap the onion for 1 teaspoon of onion powder. Skip the first part of step #5.

To Use Garlic Powder: Swap the garlic cloves for 1 teaspoon of garlic powder in step #5.

To Use Dried Thyme: Swap the Italian seasoning for 1 teaspoon of dried thyme in step #5.

To Use Table Cream or Half-and-Half: Swap the heavy cream for table cream or half-and-half in step #7.

To Use Small Pasta: Swap the gnocchi for 1 pound of small pasta (orzo, ditalini, conchiglie, or orecchiette) in step #6.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kaynutrition.com/tuscan-chicken-meatballs-with-gnocchi/