Spaghetti-O's

Spaghetti O's are the very definition of comfort food to me.  And now I can make a version that's a tad bit healthier for me and my family.

Going to combine two recipes here.  The chicken meatballs from Once a Month Mom and the rest of the soup from Iowa Girl Eats.  We made the Iowa Girl Eats version last week and I wasn't a fan of the meatballs.  I won't blame the recipe though since I had to make mine from scratch.  In this recipe, you don't have to precook the meatballs, they'll cook in the soup.

1 lbs ground chicken
7 tbs pesto
5 tbs breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large carrots shredded
1 small zucchini, shredded
1/2 onion, shredded or finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
42oz low-sodium chicken broth
24oz spaghetti sauce (we used our home made)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (we need to leave this out for our kids, they can taste even the smallest bit)
1 cup cut spaghetti or other small pasta
a glug of half and half

For the meatballs, combine the chicken, pesto, and breadcrumbs
Roll into small meatballs, about a 1 tsp
Heat oil in a large soup pot, add vegetables, season with salt & pepper, and saute until soft
Add in chicken broth, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning and red chili pepper flakes (if you're using it) and bring to a boil
When boiling, add in meatballs and simmer 10 minutes then add the pasta and cook another 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked
(Note, if it looks a little thin, make a slurry with the broth and cornstarch or flour and add it back in, cooking a bit until it thickens)

Update 3/2013-
I added the rind from a wedge of parmesan cheese and let it simmer with the meatballs and pasta.   the meatballs were nice and tender and the added cheese and half and half enriched the soup perfectly.  And for the record, my pesto was actually a basil and almond pesto since I had run out of pine nuts.  It worked out well. 

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