Rigatoni with Butter Chicken Meatballs

Traditional meatballs in marinara take a trip around the world in this delicately spiced fusion of Indian and Italian cuisines. Tender, savory chicken meatballs and a rich garam masala and yogurt-tinged tomato sauce pair with Sfoglini’s Semolina Rigatoni to bring a fusion of comfort food right to your table.

INGREDIENTS

MAKES FOUR - SIX SERVINGS

For the garam masala spice blend:

• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 4 teaspoons coriander
• 4 teaspoons cardamom
• 3 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoons cloves
• 1 teaspoons nutmeg

For the meatballs:

• 2 pounds ground chicken
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons garam masala spice blend
• 1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, and ground ginger

For the sauce:

• 1/3 cup neutral cooking oil
• 2 large or 3 medium onions, grated on the large holes of a box grater
• 1/4 cup garam masala spice blend
• 4-8 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons ginger paste
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• Kosher salt and red pepper flakes, to taste
• Minced cilantro, to serve
• 1 pound Sfoglini Rigatoni

DIRECTIONS

For the spice blend: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Store in an airtight container. (Makes just under ½ cup of spice blend).

For the meatballs: Cover two baking sheets in parchment paper and heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Add all ingredients to a large bowl, wet your hands, and combine everything thoroughly.

Wet your hands again and roll small portions (approximately 1 rounded tablespoon) of the chicken mixture into balls around 1 inch in diameter. If your hands begin to dry out and stick to the chicken, wet them again. There should be approximately 45-55 meatballs, depending on the size. 

Bake the meatballs for 30 minutes and remove from the oven. Set aside and cover or refrigerate until ready to use. 

For the sauce: Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes until softened. Add the garam masala, garlic, and ginger paste, lower the heat to medium low, and continue to cook and stir for another five minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, increase heat to medium, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, drain, and set aside.

Remove the sauce from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until it’s nearly smooth. Alternatively, transfer the sauce in batches to a blender and process, then return to the saucepan and begin to simmer again. 

Add the butter, heavy cream, and yogurt to the sauce. Stir to combine and add the meatballs and the pasta. Taste and season with salt and red pepper flakes, if desired. Transfer to a serving dish or individual bowls and serve with the minced cilantro. 

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Chef’s Note: Ground chicken is recommended for this recipe. Ground chicken breast can be substituted, but the result may be a dryer, less tender meatball. Also, the size of the meatballs is subjective. They can be larger, but a longer bake time may be required. To test for doneness, cut open a meatball and check to make sure there is no pink in the center. 

This recipe makes a lot of meatballs. Leftovers (which can be frozen and reheated very easily), or serve them all at once for extra hearty portions. 

Pasta Swaps: This recipe would also work well with Sfoglini Quattrotini, Saffron Malloreddus, or Bucatini.