| Portions |
|---|
| Serves 4 to 6 |
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 454g ground chicken
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 large handful baby spinach, finely chopped
- ¾ cup grated asiago cheese
- Salt & pepper
- Olive oil
For the orzo:
- 5 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- Salt & pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ¾ cups orzo
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¾ cup grated asiago cheese
- 1 (398ml) can whole artichokes, chopped
- 3–4 handfuls baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Directions
- Heat your oven to 400ºF and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and milk. Add in the egg, chicken, onion powder, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, spinach, and asiago cheese and season with salt and pepper. Mix well to evenly combine.
- Using a spoon or a small spring-loaded ice cream scoop, scoop small (approx. 2 tablespoon) mounds onto the prepared sheet pan. Drizzle with oil and roll into balls. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 15 to 18 minutes or until cooked through to 165ºF. Turn the broiler on to high and broil the meatballs for 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly golden. Set aside to rest.
- While the meatballs cook, heat the broth in the microwave or in a saucepan over low just until steamy.
- Place a large sauté pan or skillet over medium low heat and melt in the butter. Add in the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Turn the heat up to medium, add in the orzo, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to lightly toast the pasta.
- Add in the white wine and simmer until fully absorbed. Add about a ½ cup of the hot broth into the orzo and stir frequently until the broth is absorbed before adding in another ½ cup. Continue adding broth in this manner until the orzo is cooked to al dente. This should take approximately 20 minutes and use anywhere from 4 ½ to 5 cups of broth.
- When the orzo is just al dente, stir in the cheese, artichokes, spinach, and parsley and continue to cook until the spinach is wilted and the artichokes are heated through.
- Serve the orzo topped with the meatballs.