What’s a better comfort food than pasta and meatballs in marinara sauce? To me, I can’t think of anything more delicious, hearty and comforting than this combination of flavors. And if you are on a weight loss or health journey, rest assured that these flavors can all be enjoyed when done in moderation. I usually enjoy a great beef meatball, but for this recipe, I have swapped out the beef for lean chicken breast. The flavors are delicious and light, and these easy baked chicken meatballs and homemade marinara sauce is so easy to make for a weeknight meal or meal prep for the week!
What you’ll need to make this recipe
- fresh garlic
- olive oil
- cherry tomatoes
- kosher salt
- basil
- pasta
- ground chicken breast
- You can buy ground chicken breast (98-99% fat free ground chicken) or you can grind your own chicken breast, by placing full chicken breasts in a food processor or blender.
- seasoned breadcrumbs
- grated parmesan
- egg
- Italian seasoning
- dried oregano
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- kosher salt
- fresh parsley
- fresh basil
How to make this recipe
This recipe includes a meatball recipe, homemade marinara recipe, and pasta to toss it all together! To start, make the meatballs. Preheat the oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken breast, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, Italian seasoning and salt. Add in the fresh parsley and basil. Form the meat mixture into 12 equal meatballs and place them in the openings of a muffin pan (sprayed with non-stick cooking spray). Bake the meatballs for about 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
In the meantime, prepare the marinara sauce. You will never believe how easy it is to make your own sauce at home, in minutes. Start out by putting the olive oil in the pan, and then add the minced garlic. Bring the heat up to medium, and allow the garlic to sizzle. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan, and cover with a lid. Steam and simmer the tomatoes until they break down. Use a wooden spoon to break down the tomatoes. Stir frequently to break down the sauce. Add the salt to taste, and the fresh basil.
Once the meatballs are cooked through, add them to the sauce to simmer. In the meantime, cook the pasta and add it to the sauce and meatballs. Add pasta water if needed to bring the sauce together. Taste for seasoning.

Easy Baked Chicken Meatballs and Homemade Marinara Sauce
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- muffin pan
- frying pan
- large pot
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken breast, 98-99% fat free
- 1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp basil, fresh, chopped
- 2 tbsp parsley, fresh, chopped
Marinara Sauce & Pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, fresh, minced
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes, 1.5 lb container
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp basil, fresh
- 8 oz pasta, raw, uncooked, dry (I used Penne), equivalent to 1/2 lb of pasta
Instructions
Chicken Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken breast, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, egg, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and Italian seasoning.
- Chop the fresh basil and parsley and add the herbs in.
- Mix the meat mixture until all ingredients are combined, and then scoop into 12 equal size meatballs.
- Spray the openings of a muffin pan, and add a meatball to each opening.
- Bake the meatballs for approximately 30 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165F.
Marinara Sauce and Pasta
- Mince the fresh garlic. Add the olive oil to the frying pan with the minced garlic.
- Bring the heat to medium and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan and cover the pan with a lid.
- Steam the cherry tomatoes so they become soft and break down; remove the lid every so often and use a wooden spoon to break down the tomatoes.
- The tomatoes will eventually break down to form a sauce (about 15 minutes) - use your judgment here but see blog post for photos.
- Add the salt and fresh basil to the sauce and taste for seasoning.
- Toss the cooked meatballs in the sauce.
- In the meantime, cook the pasta according to package directions and add it to the sauce and meatballs. Add pasta water as needed to help the ingredients combine.
Weight Watchers
Notes
Nutrition
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This was absolutely delicious I used DeLallo whole wheat Farfalle pasta, also didn’t have any Fresh grape tomatoes so I use the a 15 ounce can of Mutti Grape tomatoes, it was truly delicious! Thank you Steph for creating these delicious healthy recipes that are truly amazing,
This was so good. I’ve made it twice now once with the homemade sauce and the pasta, which is so good. The other time I skipped the sauce and pasta and used the meatballs to make wraps throughout the week with some shredded lettuce, a little Caesar dressing so good. Thank you for such amazing recipes!
This recipe is a crowd pleaser. Everyone loved it and especially the fresh and easy sauce. Will definitely make again.
I’m growing Roma tomatoes. Would they work for this recipe?
absolutely!