Garlic Herb Spaghetti with Baked Chicken Meatballs

• ground turkey or chicken↗1
• egg↗1
• panko breadcrumbs↗0.5 cup
• grated Parmesan0.5 cup
• olive oil (optional – makes meatballs more moist and yummy)↗2 tablespoon
• each garlic powder and onion powder0.5 teaspoon
• salt↗0.5 teaspoon
• black pepper to taste↗
• additional seasonings optional (I added a pinch of this Go-To seasoning from What’s Gaby Cooking)
• spaghetti, linguine, or cappellini (regular or whole wheat)↗8 ounce
• stick (1/2 cup) Land O Lakes® Butter1
• cloves garlic, minced↗3
• lemon zest↗1 teaspoon
• fresh spinach, chopped↗3
• about a cup of fresh parsley, chopped
• grated Parmesan0.5 cup
• water or white wine (more or less as needed)↗0.25 cup
• a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper to finish

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all the meatball ingredients until well combined. Roll into 30 small balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with oil to prevent sticking. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

2. 2

   Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

3. 3

   Melt butter in a large, deep pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest. Sauté for a few minutes (don’t brown the garlic, but get the butter going so it’s a little bit sizzly).

4. 4

   Add spinach and parsley and cook until just wilted.

5. 5

   Add pasta, meatballs, and Parmesan. Toss to combine. Add water (or white wine) as needed to loosen it up and make it a little more creamy. Add seasoning to taste – including a final squeeze of lemon! Stand over pot, eat forkfuls of pasta, and repeat. ♡