Linguine al Limone with Grilled Chia-Chicken Meatballs
4
servings
Main
Course
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
¼ c
white chia seeds
½ c
purified water
1 lb
ground chicken
¾ c
rolled (old-fashioned) oats
⅓ c
coarsely grated or minced red onion
⅓ c
plus 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 tbsp
extra-virgin olive oil
¼ c
finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp
finely chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2
cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 ½ tsp
se salt
12 oz
whole grain linguine
⅓ c
half-and-half
juice and zest of 1 large lemon
2 tbsp
thinly sliced or chopped fresh basil (optional)
In The Chia Cookbook, the author Janie Hoffman shows you how to use the powerful superfood beyond overnight oats.
Chia gel replaces eggs in this recipe, helping keep these chicken meatballs light and fluffy. The sauce is creamy and lemony, a combination that simply melts in the mouth. As an option, try spinach linguine, which pairs nicely with the flavors in this dish and looks beautiful.
Directions
- 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 table¬spoons of the olive oil, the parsley, oregano, garlic, 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the black pepper, and the red pep¬per 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 sauce¬pan. 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.
Reprinted with permission from The Chia Cookbook copyright © 2015 Janie Hoffman. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
