Chicken Meatballs in Vodka Sauce

...like YUMMMM. I dare your kids not to eat this.

I’ll cut to the chase: this is easy, it’s delicious and you can make some of the elements (or the whole thing!) ahead of time. There’s plenty of sauce to spoon over paste or dunk some homemade focaccia into. Here’s the recipe…

The order of events:

1. Start the sauce.

2. Make the meatball mix.

3. Scoop the meatballs.

4. Blend the sauce.

5. Simmer them in the sauce.

6. Boil pasta if you wish.

Chicken Meatballs in Vodka Sauce

serves 4

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 small yellow onion, chopped (you’ll blend later so no need to be perfect)

• 2 large garlic cloves, sliced or chopped

• 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste

• 1/2 cup vodka

• 1 (28 ounce) can San Marzano whole plum tomatoes

• 1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground chicken or ground turkey

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 large fresh garlic clove, grated on the microplane)

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• pinch of ground black pepper

• small handful basil, finely chopped (plus more for garnish)

• Optional: fresh or low-moisture mozzarella

Method:

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large high sided sauté pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5-8 minutes until translucent. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes to the pan and use scissors to snip them into slightly smaller pieces. Add the salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425° (convection if you have it). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Combine all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hands, combine well. Wash your hands then scoop the meatballs into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball - I use a cookie scoop. You’ll get about 22-24. Place them on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, scrape the sauce into a blender. You can also do this with an immersion blender right in the pan, just tilt the pan to the side so you don’t splatter sauce everywhere. Add the heavy cream and blend until very smooth. Pour the sauce back into the pan.

6. Place par baked meatballs in the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.

7. Optional step: tear some mozzarella cheese over the top of the meatballs, cover and let melt. Top with basil leaves.