13x9 The Pan that Can

prep 40 minutes bake 25 minutes at 400°F

Nonstick cooking spray
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
16 oz. dried orzo pasta
6 oz. thinly sliced pancetta, chopped, or 6 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup shredded provolone cheese (4 oz.)
½ cup chopped roasted red sweet peppers
½ cup heavy cream
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 12-oz. pkg. refrigerated cooked Italian turkey meatballs (12)
½ cup panko bread crumbs
⅓ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Snipped fresh Italian parsley (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a 3-qt. rectangular baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a 4-qt. Dutch oven bring broth to boiling. Stir in orzo. Cook, uncovered, 6 to 7 minutes or until orzo is almost tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

3. In a large skillet cook and stir pancetta over medium heat until browned and crisp. Remove pancetta; drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Cook onion in reserved drippings over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits in pan. Return to heat; simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until wine is reduced by half. Add wine mixture to orzo in Dutch oven. Stir in pancetta and the next five ingredients (through black pepper). Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

4. Add meatballs, pressing lightly into orzo mixture. In a bowl stir together panko, Parmesan cheese, and thyme. Drizzle with oil; toss to coat. Sprinkle over meatballs and orzo mixture.

5. Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes or until bubbly and crumbs are golden. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

number of servings 6

per serving 743 cal., 32 g fat (12 g sat. fat), 81 mg chol., 1,211 mg sodium, 72 g carb., 3 g fiber, 5 g sugars, 35 g pro.