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Creamy Garlic Pasta Nests with Pesto Chicken Meatballs

This Creamy Garlic Pasta Nests with Pesto Chicken Meatballs dish is amazingly easy and delicious, perfect for either a weeknight meal or a special dinner.

Cook Time
mins
Total Time
25 mins
Calories: 1018 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 11 individual meatballs from one package Gold’n Plump® Chicken Meatballs – Pesto Italian thawed
  • 1 16- oz. package angel hair nests this is what I use, which has 11 nests per package
  • 4 T. unsalted butter
  • 6 large cloves garlic minced
  • 1-1/2 c. heavy cream
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 c. grated parmesan
  • ¼ c. pesto
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • shredded Parmesan for garnish, if desired
  • 1 T. minced fresh parsley for garnish, if desired
  • small fresh basil leaves for garnish, if desired

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. Lightly spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
  3. Bring a medium-large pot of salted water to a boil. Add all pasta nests and then turn heat down so the water is only gently bubbling, and cook for 2 minutes, just until al dente. Using a slotted spoon, quickly remove pasta nests from water, draining away as much water as you can, and place them on prepared rimmed baking sheet. Set aside. Do not discard pasta water.
  4. Heat 12″ cast iron skillet or other 12″ oven-safe skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Add butter. Once melted, add garlic, stirring to coat. Sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until garlic is softened. If garlic starts to brown, turn heat down a bit. Stir in cream and kosher salt. When mixture starts to bubble, let simmer for 2 minutes longer, stirring every now and then. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, and then whisk in grated Parmesan until smooth. Taste test and add a bit more salt, if needed. Remove skillet from heat. Nestle each of the cooked pasta nests into the cream sauce. Add 1 teaspoon of pesto to the centers of each pasta nest, spreading out the pesto into the pasta a bit. Press a chicken meatball into the center of each pasta nest and then add a bit more pesto to the top of each meatball. Cover skillet with foil, aiming to not let the foil touch the meatballs, and place in oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cream sauce is bubbling lightly. Sprinkle each pasta nest with a bit of freshly ground black pepper, plus freshly shredded Parmesan, minced parsley, and basil leaves, if desired. Serve hot.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 1018kcal (51%) Carbohydrates 44g (15%) Protein 32g (64%) Fat 81g (125%) Saturated Fat 39g (195%) Polyunsaturated Fat 36g Trans Fat 2g Cholesterol 231mg (77%) Sodium 1294mg (54%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 6g (12%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1018

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 1018kcal 51%
Carbohydrates 44g 15%
Protein 32g 64%
Fat 81g 125%
Saturated Fat 39g 195%
Polyunsaturated Fat 36g 212%
Trans Fat 2g 100%
Cholesterol 231mg 77%
Sodium 1294mg 54%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 6g 12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.