Fan Fare, Part II

If you cringed at my last ode to Rachel Ray, you can stop reading now. Because, once again, I feel compelled to share with you an RR original recipe (with some of my own modifications, of course) that I absolutely loved.

This twist on classic Italian fare is a great alternative to ordering take-out or cooking on of those frozen “bag” meals. There’s not a ton of chopping, the meatballs are made with all white meat chicken and the sauce isn’t loaded with MSG. Plus, it’s really fun to use chopsticks to pop the little meatballs in your mouth. It’s kind of like kid-friendly Chinese—what’s not to like?

Chinese Spaghetti and Meatballs
Serves 4

8 oz. spaghetti
1 lb. ground white meat chicken
1 egg
2 c. panko (Japanese style bread crumbs)
1 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
8 scallions, 2 finely chopped, 6 cut into 2-inch lengths
2 tbsp., plus 1/3 c. tamari (dark soy sauce)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 c. snow peas, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 inches ginger root, grated
4 cloves garlic, grated
8 oz. baby spinach leaves, washed
1 tbsp. sesame oil
3 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta to cook to al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water before draining.

In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken and egg with your hands. Add the panko, five-spice powder, 2 of the chopped scallions and 2 tablespoons soy sauce and mix thoroughly. Form 1 ½ inch meatballs with your hands and place on a baking sheet. Spray the tops with olive oil baking spray and roast for 15 minutes.

When the meatballs are close to done, heat a large skillet over high heat with the vegetable oil. Add the snow peas, bell pepper, remaining cut scallions, ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, 2 minutes. Add the remaining soy sauce and the sesame oil, then add the pasta and toss to combine. If there isn’t enough sauce, add in some of the reserved pasta water to thin. Garnish with sesame seeds and top with the meatballs.