CHICKEN, LEMON & RICOTTA MEATBALLS WITH LINGUINE

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image



Chicken, lemon & ricotta meatballs with linguine image

Flavour-packed, easy to make and nutritious - our zesty chicken meatballs tick all the boxes for a family meal

Provided by Melissa Thompson - Journalist and food writer

Categories     Dinner

Time 40m

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 chicken breasts
2 lemons, zested
200g ricotta
3 tbsp parsley, chopped
150g fresh breadcrumbs
100ml milk, plus 2 tbsp
1 medium egg, beaten
25g plain flour, for dusting
1 tbsp olive oil
300g linguine
320g green beans, trimmed and halved

Steps:

  • Cut the chicken into very small pieces using a sharp knife. You can use a food processor, but pulse so it doesn't turn into a paste. Put in a bowl and add half the lemon zest, half the ricotta, half the parsley, the breadcrumbs and mix together. Add the 2 tbsp milk, the egg and a good pinch of seasoning. Mix again.
  • Dust a plate lightly with flour. Wet your hands, take a golf ball-sized piece of the meatball mixture and roll into a ball. Set on the floured plate and repeat until all the mixture has been used up.
  • Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat, add the oil, then the meatballs, ensuring they don't touch each other. Cook for 10-15 mins, turning so they brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
  • Meanwhile, heat a large pan of salted water and add the linguine. Cook following pack instructions, and 3 mins before the end of the cooking time, add the green beans. Drain, saving the pasta water. Rinse the linguine and beans under cool water to stop them cooking further.
  • Add the remaining ricotta to the frying pan, breaking it up as much as possible. Pour in the 100ml milk and 2 tbsp of reserved pasta water, then cook down to thicken slightly for a couple of minutes. Add the pasta, beans and remaining lemon zest and parsley. Season to taste, mix in the meatballs and serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 628 calories, Fat 15 grams fat, SaturatedFat 6 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 69 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 6 grams sugar, Fiber 8 grams fiber, Protein 49 grams protein, Sodium 0.8 milligram of sodium

There are no comments yet!