Total time about 1-1/2 hours. Serves 4-6.
SHOPPING LIST:
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- Chicken
- Egg
- Onion
- Garlic
- Flat-leaf parsley
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Canned tomatoes
- Chicken stock
- Parmesan cheese
- Pasta
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Prepare chicken balls
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1
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Grind or chop finely
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2
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 In a medium bowl, combine thoroughly (for optimum flavor, cover mixture and refrigerate for several hours or overnight)
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- ground or chopped chicken (from Step 1)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 medium onion, grated
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 tsp coriander, ground
- 1/2 tsp cumin, ground
- Optional: 1 tablespoon corn meal
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3
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Using wet hands, shape mixture into small balls (1 inch or so), then roll each ball
in flour or cornmeal seasoned with salt, pepper and, optionally, a sprinkling of paprika.
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4
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 Heat 1/4 cup (2 oz) olive oil in a skillet. Brown the balls in small batches, removing and draining them on paper towels (brown them only—the main cooking is done later in the oven)
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Prepare sauce
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1
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In a medium saucepan, first melt the butter and then stir in the flour
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- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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2
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Stir in, bring to boil, then cover and simmer 10-15 minutes
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- 14-oz can whole or diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 cup (8 oz) chicken stock
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp dried herbs (such as parsley, oregano, marjoram, thyme)
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Bake the dish
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1
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Preheat oven to 350 F. Put browned chicken balls in shallow baking dish (see photo above). Pour the tomato sauce over the chicken, cover the dish with foil, and bake about 40 minutes on center rack. Remove the foil cover in the last 10 minutes.
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2
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Remove dish from oven and garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped.
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Make the pasta
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While chicken is in the oven, cook 12-16 oz pasta according to package directions. Select interesting shapes such as campanelle (shaped like lilies or bugles), farfalle (bowties or butterflies), or wide egg noodles.
Then drain and toss with 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter.
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To serve:
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- Spoon chicken-sauce mixture on plates side-by-side with pasta.
- Sprinkle servings with Parmesan cheese, grated
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Chicken. Breasts are easiest. Thighs are more flavorful, but you'll need to remove the skin, bones and excess fat. Grind the meat to hamburger consistency or chop very finely with a knife. Or simply buy ground chicken.
