Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Sausage Balls, Tomato-Basil Sauce, Cacio e Pepe Potatoes and Roast Broccolini
- 2 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 tub bocconcini, bite size fresh mozzarella in water
- 2 pounds Italian hot or sweet fresh chicken, turkey or pork sausage, bulk if available
- 1 1/2 pounds broccolini
- 1 head garlic
- 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or milk
- 1 tub grated Pecorino Romano
- 1 tub good quality fresh pesto from the refrigerated cases of the market
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling, 4 to 5 tablespoons total
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Quarter baby potatoes and cover with cold water.
- Bring to a boil then salt water and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.
- While potatoes come up to a boil, place a nonstick baking sheet alongside a mixing bowl.
- Remove 12 pieces of bite sized mozzarella from the water and set on work surface.
- Remove sausages from casings, if bulk not available, and place in a bowl.
- Combine the meat into a single mound then score it into 4 sections.
- Each section will yield 3 large sausage meatballs.
- To form each ball, take a handful of meat and wrap it around a piece of mozzarella.
- Roll 12 balls.
- Wash up.
- Coat balls with a drizzle of olive oil.
- Bake 18 to 20 minutes until cooked through and evenly browned.
- While the balls are cooking, trim ends of clean broccolini and scatter evenly over a baking sheet.
- Grate or chop 2 to 3 cloves of garlic and drizzle the broccolini and garlic with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and roast 12 to 15 minutes to crisp the broccolini tops.
- While the broccolini is roasting, add tomatoes to a small pot or skillet, mash with a potato masher and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat over medium heat then simmer to reduce about 8 to 10 minutes.
- When the potatoes are tender, drain and return to the hot pot to dry them out a little.
- Mash the potatoes with 1/2 cup stock or milk, 1/2 to 2/3 cup grated Romano cheese, a few generous handfuls, lots of black pepper and a little salt.
- Turn the heat off the tomatoes and stir in 1/2 cup prepared pesto.
- Serve three cheese-stuffed sausage balls with tomato-basil sauce on top or underneath, cacio e pepe smashed potatoes and broccolini alongside.
gold potatoes, bocconcini, italian hot, broccolini, garlic, tomatoes, chicken, romano, fresh pesto, extravirgin olive oil, salt
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/mozzarella-stuffed-chicken-sausage-balls-tomato-basil-sauce-cacio-e-pepe-potatoes-and-roast-broccolini-recipe.html (may not work)