Description
Delicious Chicken Florentine Meatballs served over tender spaghetti squash with a savory tomato and mushroom sauce, a healthy and flavorful meal perfect for a family dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound ground chicken
Spaghetti Squash
- 1 medium spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds)
Sauce
- 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Prepare Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, combine eggs, thawed spinach, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, minced onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Crumble the ground chicken over the mixture and mix thoroughly until well combined. Shape the mixture into 1-1/2 inch meatballs.
- Bake Meatballs: Place meatballs on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes or until the meatballs are no longer pink inside.
- Cook Spaghetti Squash: While meatballs bake, cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place the squash cut side down on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave uncovered on high for 18 minutes or until the squash is tender. Let it cool enough to handle.
- Prepare Sauce: In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil and sauté the sliced mushrooms until tender. Stir in diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, minced parsley, garlic, oregano, and basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Combine Meatballs and Sauce: Add the baked meatballs to the skillet with the sauce and heat through for a few minutes until warm.
- Serve: Use a fork to scrape the cooked spaghetti squash strands into a bowl or onto plates. Spoon the meatballs and sauce over the squash. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired and serve immediately.
Notes
- Thoroughly squeeze the excess water from thawed spinach to avoid soggy meatballs.
- If you don’t have microwave access, you can bake the spaghetti squash at 375°F for about 40 minutes until tender.
- Use fresh parsley for a brighter flavor or substitute with dried if fresh is unavailable.
- For a spicier sauce, add red pepper flakes when sautéing the mushrooms.
- Leftover meatballs and sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
