Sunday dinner with my family is a tradition since I was a little girl. Every week we have some form of sauce with pasta. I try to change it up week to week to keep it interesting. This is always a hit with my family. These chicken meatballs are so tender and light. All of the elements in this dish remind me of a deconstructed chicken parm! Your family will love this recipe!
Soak the stale bread in milk. Break it up with your fingers and squeeze the milk out slightly.
Into a bowl, add all of the meatball ingredients and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making the sauce. This will allow the flavors to marry.
To a large, sauté pan or pot, add olive oil, and onion. Sauté until translucent.
Add in puréed, tomatoes, fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine, cover and bring it up to a boil. Once boiling lower it down to low medium and cover, vented. Cook for one and 1/2 hours stirring occasionally.
Using a 2 inch cookie scoop, form your meatballs. To a large fry pan, add canola or vegetable oil. Fry meatballs until golden brown. Add them to the sauce. At this point, I like to add about 1/2 cup of water to the sauce to allow the meatballs to plump up and not make the sauce too thick. Cook for another 30 minutes on low flame, covered but vented.
If serving with pasta, using a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs onto a plate. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Stir to coat the the pasta in the sauce. Then add in shredded mozzarella and stir until the cheese melts.