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a baking dish of elbow macaroni in red tomato sauce with small browned chicken meatballs beneath melted mozzarella and Parmesan, with no breaded chicken chunks or cutlets
Rachel Kim

Chicken Parmesan Meatball Pasta Bake

Small chicken meatballs give this Parmesan pasta bake a tender filling without a layer of breaded chicken pieces. Bake the meatballs until cooked before they meet the sauce. Their Parmesan and breadcrumb mixture holds together around the elbows, while mozzarella melts across the surface. Keep the meatballs small enough to distribute through the pan so every serving gets several, and stir gently when assembling so their browned edges stay intact instead of breaking into a ground-chicken sauce.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz dry elbow macaroni
  • 1 tbsp fine salt for pasta water
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan divided
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt for meatballs
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes 28 oz
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt for sauce
  • 6 oz low-moisture mozzarella grated

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Mix ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan, meatball salt and basil just until combined. Shape into 24 small meatballs and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  2. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes until the meatballs reach 165°F. Meanwhile, warm oil in a saucepan, stir garlic for 30 seconds and add tomatoes, water, oregano and sauce salt; simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Boil macaroni in water with the tablespoon salt until 3 minutes short of the package time, then drain. Lower the oven to 375°F.
  4. Fold macaroni and cooked meatballs gently into the sauce and transfer to a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Scatter with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan.
  5. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover for 8 to 10 minutes until the center reaches 165°F and the cheese has browned patches.
  6. Rest for 10 minutes and serve each portion with several meatballs.