Chef notes
I love this recipe because you can make it completely in advance and then pop it in the oven at dinner time. It also freezes really well!
Technique Tip: I learned from Joy Bauer that it's so easy to substitute pumpkin for breadcrumbs in meatballs or meatloaf, etc. I love it! You can’t taste the difference and you get so many extra vitamins and fiber.
Swap option: If you have a few boxes of pasta that just have a little bit left, you can mix the different shapes. It’s a great way to use up anything extra that you have lying around.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, grated
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- One 16-ounce box mezzi rigatoni or mezze penne
- One 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
- 2 cups mozzarella, shredded
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Preparation
For the meatballs:
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2.Mix together the chicken, pumpkin, Parmesan, onion, parsley, salt, pepper and garlic in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes.
3.Shape the mixture into balls (about the size of a golfball) using a tablespoon and place on the prepared baking sheet.
4.Bake until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and spray a 9-inch by 3-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
For the casserole:
5.Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook 3 minutes less than the package instructions.
6.Reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water and drain.
7.Toss the pasta with the marinara sauce and pasta water in a large bowl. Transfer to the greased baking dish. Nestle the meatballs into the pasta.
8.Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve the dish with grated Parmesan.
