As someone who doesn't eat beef, I am always on the lookout for a great meatball recipe. These might just be the best meatballs I've ever had. The gooey Italian bread lends a light and almost cheesy quality that is delicious. I never knew ground chicken could be so flavorful.
- 3 slices Italian bread, torn into small bits (1 cup)
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3 ounces sliced pancetta, finely chopped (you can swap in Canadian Bacon if you can’t find pancetta)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste, divided
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Preheat oven to 400°F with a rack in the upper third of the oven.
Soak bread in milk in a small bowl until softened, about four minutes.
- Cook pancetta, onion, and garlic in one tablespoon oil with 1/2
teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large skillet over medium heat
until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Cool slightly.
- Squeeze bread to remove excess milk, then discard milk. Lightly beat
egg in a large bowl, then combine with chicken, 1 tablespoon tomato
paste, pancetta mixture, bread, and parsley. Form meatballs and
arrange in a 4-sided sheet pan.
- Stir together remaining tablespoons of tomato paste and oil and brush
over meatballs (the paste/oil does not mix in any cohesive manner, but
just smoosh it on and run with it) , then bake in upper third of oven 15-20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
