Chicken Marsala Meatballs and Penne

I feel like one of those choosy moms that remains awake at night thinking of sneaky ways to add veggies to their kids’ diets.  I finally did it.  I have Mark eating mushrooms and he doesn’t even know it!

This week-worth-of-lunches:  Chicken Marsala Meatballs and penne.  I love chicken marsala.  It is one of my favorite dishes and I order it wherever it is served, pretty much.  I also love making it at home.  Probably because I made it once as a kid and the people didn't gag.  Everyone has a different version.  I like the slightly thickened version that retains wine characteristics in the sauce.  Problem #1:  Mark hates mushrooms.  He’s kind enough to pick them off the plate and still eat the dish, but that seems like such a shame.  You cannot, cannot, cannot have chicken marsala without mushrooms.  What's the point?  Problem #2:  I'm slowly learny that chicken breasts taste pretty crappy reheated 5 days later. 

Accordingly, here’s what I did:

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken breast

1 cup unseasoned bread crumbs

¼ cup pecorino romano, grated

½ cup chopped fresh flat leaf Italian parsley (or dried, I guess)

1 egg

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, chopped

1 lb fresh button mushrooms, stemmed and chopped

2 cups fine sweet marsala wine (buy this in the actual wine section, spend the dough.  It’s a must).

1 carrot, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup chicken stock (possibly more)

2 tablespoons corn starch

Garnish:  parsley and pecorino.

Make duxelles with the mushrooms and shallots.  (I learned that term last year and have always wanted to use it publicly.  Done!)  Saute the shallots in oil on medium to medium low (watch; don’t burn).  Add the mushrooms, and cook to soften.  When the mushrooms start to brown, add salt and pepper to taste.  Then, add about ¼ to ½ cup of the marsala to deglaze.  Cook it down until the marsala is almost gone, leaving a syrup consistency.  Let cool.  Pulse the mixture in a food processor.

In a large bowl, combine the duxelles, egg, ground chicken,  bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, basil, salt and pepper.  Add more breadcrumbs if needed for a good meatball consistency.

Cook the pasta.

In a large non-stick skillet, sauté the onion, carrot and celery in a bit of oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Form meatballs.  Add them to the skillet to brown.  Once browned, add about a cup or so of the marsala, deglazing the pan.  Then add a cup or so of the stock.  If you want more sauce, add more wine, stock and salt and pepper.  Once it all comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover.  Simmer 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.  If you like the sauce thicker, make a slurry in a separate bowl with the cornstarch and some more chicken stock.  Add the slurry to the pan and stir.  Add the cooked pasta.  Divide in 8 containers for lunch.  This is about 5 points (who knows how many "Points Plus".  Aargh.)  You're Done.