We are on the cusp of summer, and summer to me means pesto. There’s a local farmstand near my house where I can buy huge bunches of basil for just a dollar! I enjoy that basil in salads and make a big batch of pesto to put on just about everything. Pesto is delicious in pasta, but it’s also delicious spooned over eggs, added as something extra to salads, or spread on sandwiches. Pesto also freezes well, and I love to keep it in my freezer to pull out in the winter for a taste of the freshness of summer. And the latest way that I want to enjoy pesto? These pesto chicken meatballs and pasta.
I absolutely love a baked meatball because they are so easy to make, and I can be prepping pesto and boiling pasta while the meatballs make. You can make them with ground chicken or ground turkey and thanks to a bit of olive oil they aren’t dry at all. I refer to my pesto as a “poor man’s pesto” because I use almonds instead of pine nuts. Pine nuts are expensive and while they do make a delicious pesto, I find that almonds make just as good of a pesto. Pesto has just a few ingredients: basil, pine nuts (or almonds in this case), garlic, olive oil, and salt. Sometimes I also add a squeeze of lemon juice! The most important ingredient here is the basil, so make sure it’s fresh and bright green. Sadly basil never does well in my garden because I get too much shade, but I’m able to buy it locally to ensure I’m getting a great quality ingredient.
This dish has pesto flavors in both the meatballs and the pasta for a dish that is basil-forward and perfect for summer. I want to enjoy these pesto chicken meatballs with pasta out on my back patio with a glass of white wine on a summer evening. I want to serve this dish to my friends! Really, I want all the pesto, all the time. If you’ve never made pesto, I hope this recipe encourages you to try it if you never have! A food processor and a few ingredients and homemade pesto is at your fingertips.
- 2 lb. ground turkey
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups fresh basil
- ¼ cup almonds
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 lb. pasta (I like spaghetti, angel hair, or linguini for this recipe)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, combine turkey, eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, olive oil, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and parmesan (all the meatball ingredients!). Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and use your hands to form meatballs and place in the prepared baking dish. Bake for 22-25 minutes.
- While the meatballs are baking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Prepare the pesto. In a food processor, place basil, almonds, garlic, parmesan cheese, and salt. Drizzle in the olive oil as the food processor is running and blend until smooth.
- Combine the pasta and pesto and serve topped with meatballs. An extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese is also delicious.
- Serve immediately, enjoy!
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[…] it been too long since I’ve shared a pasta recipe? I love pasta year-round and there are so many ways to customize it. We enjoy a pasta dish probably […]