Chicken Lemon Ricotta Meatballs With Linguine Recipes

CHICKEN, LEMON & RICOTTA MEATBALLS WITH LINGUINE

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.

LEMON LINGUINE

Steps:

• Fill just about the biggest pot you have with water and bring to a boil. When friends are coming for lunch, get the water heated to boiling point before they arrive, otherwise you end up nervously hanging around waiting for a watched pot to boil while your supposedly quick lunch gets later and later. Bring the water to the boil, cover and turn off burner.
• I tend to leave the addition of salt until the water comes to a boil a second time. But whichever way you do it, add quite a bit of salt. When the bubbling's encouragingly fierce, put in the pasta. I often put the lid on for a moment or so just to let the pasta get back to the boil, but don't turn your back on it, and give it a good stir with a pasta fork or whatever to avoid even the suspicion of stickiness, once you've removed the lid.
• Then get on with the sauce, making sure you've set your timer for about a minute or so less than the time specified on the package of pasta.
• In a bowl, add the yolks, cream, Parmesan, zest of the whole lemon and juice of half of it, the salt and good grind of pepper, and beat with a fork. You don't want it fluffy, just combined. Taste. If you want it more lemony, then of course add more juice.
• When the timer goes off, taste to judge how near the pasta is to being ready. I recommend that you hover by the stove so you don't miss that point. Don't be too hasty, though. Everyone is so keen to cook their pasta properly al dente that sometimes the pasta is actually not cooked enough. You want absolutely no chalkiness here. And linguine (or at least I find it so) tend not to run over into soggy overcookedness quite as quickly as other long pasta. This makes sense, of course, as the strands of "little tongues" are dense than the flat ribbon shapes.
• Anyway, as soon as the pasta looks ready, remove a cup of the cooking liquid, drain the pasta, and then, off the heat, toss it back in the pot or put it in an efficiently preheated bowl, throw in the butter, and stir and swirl about to make sure the butter's melted and the pasta covered by it all over. Each strand will be only mutely gleaming, as there's not much butter and quite a bit of pasta. If you want to add more, then do; good butter is the best flavoring, best texture, best mood enhancer there is.
• When you're satisfied the pasta's covered with its soft slip of butter, then stir in the egg mixture and turn the pasta well in it, adding some of the cooking liquid if it looks a bit dry (only 2 tablespoons or so - you don't want a wet mess - and only after you think the sauce is incorporated). Sprinkle over the parsley and serve now, now, now.

LEMON CHICKEN LINGUINE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil and the butter. Add onions and garlic. Sauté gently for 1-2 minutes on medium heat.
• Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper, the dried thyme, and red pepper flakes. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook completely.
• Remove chicken from the pan.
• Add the juice and zest of the lemons to the pan to deglaze. Combine this with the linguine and remaining olive oil, parsley, and basil. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve pasta topped with the chicken. Parmesan cheese is an excellent addition.

CHICKEN LEMON LINGUINE

Steps:

• Heat butter and olive oil together in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add milk, bouillon, oregano, salt, and pepper to onion mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook sauce for 5 minutes.
• Whisk cold water and cornstarch together in a bowl until smooth. Mix cornstarch mixture and chicken into sauce; cook until heated through and thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook linguine at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain.
• Turn heat under saucepan with sauce to low; add lemon juice, parsley, and lemon zest and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add pasta, toss to coat, and transfer to a serving bowl; top with Parmesan cheese.

LEMON CHICKEN LINGUINE

Steps:

• Cut chicken into 3/4 inch cubes.
• Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
• Set aside.
• In a small bowl, stir together broth, lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Set aside.
• In another bowl, stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of the evaporated milk, stirring until cornstarch dissolves.
• Stir in the rest of the evaporated milk.
• Set aside.
• Cook linguine according in a large pot of water according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, spray a large nonstick skillet with olive oil spray (or just use regular olive oil).
• Stir fry garlic and chicken over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink inside.
• Reduce heat to medium.
• Add linguine to skillet.
• Pour broth mixture on top; toss.
• Slowly pour milk mixture over.
• Toss gently for 1-2 minutes, or until sauce is just beginning to boil and thickens slightly.
• If it seems too dry, add a little more evaporated milk.
• Add scallions and parsley to the skillet; toss.
• Remove skillet from heat.
• Toss in Parmesan cheese.
• Serve.

CHICKEN-AND-RICOTTA MEATBALLS IN BROTH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix chicken with ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt, and pinch of nutmeg until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, combine broth, lemon zest, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Using a spring-loaded 1/4-cup ice-cream scoop or two large spoons, drop meatball mixture into broth (you should have 18 meatballs). Simmer gently until meatballs float and are cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Just before serving, add spinach to broth and let wilt; garnish soup with lemon slices.

LINGUINE AL LIMONE WITH GRILLED CHIA-CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the chia seeds and water and let stand for about 20 minutes. (Makes 3/4 cup extra-thick chia gel.)
• Prepare an indoor or outdoor grill, or preheat the oven to 475°F.
• In a large bowl, use your hands to evenly combine the chia gel, ground chicken, oats, onion, 1/4 cup of the cheese, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the parsley, oregano, garlic, 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper, and the red pepper flakes. When evenly combined, firmly form mixture into 20 meatballs (about 3 tablespoons each).
• Grill over medium heat until well done and brown on all sides, about 15 minutes, rotating only as needed. Alternatively, line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Arrange the meatballs on the baking sheet and roast until well done, about 20 minutes. Insert 4 (10-inch) skewers into cooked meatballs, 5 meatballs each. If necessary, keep warm in 175°F oven while preparing linguine.
• Cook the linguine according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving 3/4 cup pasta cooking water.
• Bring the half-and-half, the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, and reserved pasta water to a boil over high heat in a large saucepan. Add the drained pasta and toss to combine. Add the lemon juice and toss to combine. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and toss to combine.
• Transfer the linguine to four large pasta bowls. Top each with a skewer of chicken meatballs, sprinkle with basil and lemon zest, and serve.