This tasty pasta dish came into existence the same way a lot of my recipes do, which is simply out of a need to use up stuff in my fridge. I had a couple red bell peppers lef over from making my Roasted Chicken Shawarma Bowls that needed to be used immediately! But I needed to use them in a way my daughter would eat too. It was a busy weeknight there just was not enough time to make 2 separate meals!
This creamy red pepper sauce with fettuccini came to the rescue and she enjoyed every bite! (So did I!) I served the pasta up with some no-frills chicken meatballs that added a perfect savory and meaty bite to the sweet sauce. This dish came together so easily and I didn’t have to bring my knives out at all!
Here’s what you need:
This entire dish takes less than an hour to make from start to finish, if you manage your time properly. Read through the process first, so you are aware of areas where you can multitask. After you’ve made this once or twice, you will be able to whip it up quickly again and again, without even needing the recipe.
Get the peppers roasting first.
They need 20 minutes to roast and then time to cool enough to handle. Just toss them in a bit of olive oil and pop them in a hot oven and forget about them while you work other elements.
Make the chicken meatballs.
While the peppers are roasting, add the panko, egg, parmesan, salt and garlic to a mixing bowl. I prefer to grate the garlic finely with a microplane rather than mince it because it distributes more evenly throughout the meatballs.
Mix those ingredients together, then add the ground chicken. Stir the panko mixture into the chicken until well incorporated.
Before you start forming your meatballs, turn a big pot of salty water to boil.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Heat a large skillet to medium and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Form the meatballs and add them to the skillet one by one. For the best browning and even heat distribution, use a large cast iron skillet, and wait until it has preheated before adding the meatballs to prevent them from sticking.
If needed, cook the meatballs in batches.
They need to have their own space to brown properly. Don’t worry about cooking them all the way through here. They will finish cooking internally in the oven. Once each meatball has browned, remove it from the skillet and place it on a sheet tray. Place them into the preheated oven to finish cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Make the Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce.
While you are working on the sauce, cook the pasta in the salty boiling water.
Remove the seeds and stems from the roasted peppers as well as any skin that has separated, then toss them into a food processor with the broth. Purée them until smooth, then pour the red pepper purée into the same pan that you browned the meatballs in.
Heat the purée on medium and reduce it for a few minutes until it has thickened enough that when you run a spatula down the middle, it takes a few seconds for the space to fill back up.
Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Finally, top with the chicken meatballs!
Finish with a squeeze of lemon. Then if you like, add some fresh herbs, more parmesan or cracked black pepper!
Other recipes to try:
Fettuccini with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Chicken Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 clove grated garlic
- olive oil
For the Roasted Red Pepper Fettuccini
- olive oil
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 8 ounces fettuccine
- salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Place the 2 peppers in a pan and drizzle all over with a little olive oil. Roast them for 20 minutes. Allow them to cool before handling.Fill a large pot with water and add a couple tablespoons of salt and turn it onto high.While the peppers are roasting, start on the meatballs. Place the egg, panko, salt and parmesan in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the chicken and use your hands to mix until the panko mixture is incorporated into the chicken.Heat a large skillet to medium and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Form meatballs with your hands and add them to the skillet one by one. Brown the meatballs, then place them on a sheet pan. You may need to cook them in batches so they each have their own space to brown. Once the water begins to boil, add the fettuccini and use tongs to stir for about the first minute of cooking, to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Continue to cook the pasta for the amount of time instructed on the packaging.Once the meatballs have all browned, place them in the oven to finish cooking until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. The amount of time will vary, depending on the size of the meatballs as well as how done they were after browning on the stovetop. For reference, my 2 ounce meatballs took only 7 minutes to finish cooking. Remove the seeds and stems from the cooled bell peppers as well as any skin that is separated from the flesh. Toss them into a food processor with the broth and purée until smooth. Pour the purée into the same skillet you browned the meatballs in. Add the heavy cream and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Reduce the sauce for a few minutes on medium, until it is thick enough that when you run a line down the center, it takes a few seconds to fill the empty space. Add the drained pasta and fresh lemon juice and toss to coat. Add the meatballs and serve.