Description
Delicious and fresh chicken meatballs with a creamy ricotta and zesty lemon twist, served over linguine and crisp green beans. This hearty yet light dish combines tender homemade meatballs with a creamy sauce, perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 chicken breasts, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zested (half for meatballs, half for sauce)
- 100g ricotta (half for meatballs, half for sauce)
- 3 tbsp parsley, chopped (half for meatballs, half for sauce)
- 150g fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp milk (for meatballs)
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- 25g plain flour, for dusting
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Pasta and Vegetables
- 300g linguine
- 320g green beans, trimmed and halved
Sauce
- 100ml milk
- 2 tbsp reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken mixture: Finely chop the chicken breasts into very small pieces using a sharp knife or pulse briefly in a food processor. In a bowl, combine the chicken with half of the lemon zest, half of the ricotta, half of the chopped parsley, fresh breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of milk, beaten egg, and a good pinch of seasoning. Mix well to combine.
- Form the meatballs: Lightly dust a plate with plain flour. Wet your hands to prevent sticking and roll golf ball-sized portions of the mixture into balls. Place the meatballs on the floured plate and repeat until all mixture is used.
- Cook the meatballs: Heat a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Arrange the meatballs in the pan without crowding them. Cook for 10-15 minutes, turning regularly to brown them evenly on all sides. Once cooked through and nicely browned, transfer the meatballs to a plate.
- Cook the pasta and green beans: Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook according to package instructions. Three minutes before the pasta finishes, add the green beans to the pan. Drain the pasta and beans, reserving some of the pasta water. Rinse them briefly under cool water to stop the cooking process.
- Make the sauce and finish the dish: Return the frying pan to medium heat and add the remaining ricotta, breaking it up gently. Pour in the 100ml milk and 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, cooking gently for a couple of minutes to slightly thicken the sauce. Stir in the cooked linguine, green beans, remaining lemon zest, and parsley. Season to taste. Add the meatballs back to the pan, gently mixing everything together, then serve immediately.
Notes
- Using fresh breadcrumbs adds better texture to meatballs than dried.
- Rinsing linguine and green beans under cool water stops overcooking and keeps beans crisp.
- You can adjust lemon zest amount to your preference for more or less citrus flavor.
- Use a heavy-based frying pan for even cooking and better browning.
- Reserve pasta water helps to loosen and enrich the sauce for better coating of pasta.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: chicken meatballs, lemon ricotta meatballs, linguine pasta, green beans, easy dinner, Italian recipe, creamy pasta sauce
