Chicken Meatball Skewers

This is a kid and parent favorite!
I like it with Costco pesto. When I do make the pesto, I have replaced the spinach with basil. Amy also recommends replacing the almonds with walnuts.

From Italian Dish Blog

Chicken Meatball Skewers with Pesto

Makes 26 skewers

I always have a tube of Amore tomato paste in my fridge for recipes that call for just a little tomato paste, like this one.

For the Chicken Meatballs:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ cup finely diced onion
1 large clove garlic, grated
1 pound ground chicken
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

For the Spinach Almond Pesto:

1 ounce hard cheese, like Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano
1 ounce raw (unsalted, unroasted) almonds
2 ounces fresh spinach
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon course black pepper
a pinch of red chili pepper
½ cup extra virgin olive oil 

For the Assembly:

7 red cherry tomatoes, halved
6 yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
26 fresh basil leaves
1 tub of Galbani Mozzarella Fresca Ciliegine (cherry tomato size mozzarella), about 26 pieces

Preheat oven to 375º F and line a large baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.   In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and gently saute the onion for about 7 minutes, until soft.  Add the grated garlic and saute for about a minute more.  Transfer to a medium sized bowl and allow to cool.

Add the ground chicken to the onion mixture, along with the tomato paste, sea salt, pepper, oregano and fresh parsley. Mix gently but thoroughly, using your hands.  Do not overmix.  Form the meatball mixture into 26 small meatballs, about a tablespoon each.  Place on baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.  

While the meatballs are baking, make the pesto.  In a food processor, grind the cheese and almonds until fine.  Add the spinach, salt, and both peppers and process until spinach is ground.  Scrape down with a spatula if you need to.  Add the olive oil slowly through the feed tube and process until smooth.  

When the meatballs are finished, assemble the skewers, with the meatballs on the bottom.  Serve with the Pesto.  

The Italian Dish

theitaliandishblog.com

PASTA WITH PESTO, POTATOES, AND GREEN BEANS

PASTA WITH PESTO, POTATOES, AND GREEN BEANS
Published July 1, 2013.   From Cook's Illustrated.



WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
The idea of serving two starches together might seem unusual, but this dish from Liguria is the classic way to serve pesto. The starch from the potatoes lends body to the sauce, and the tender green beans add color and flavor. Red potatoes make the creamiest sauce.

Some traditional recipes call for cooking the potatoes, green beans, and pasta simultaneously in the same pot, but it often results in one or more elements being overcooked. Cooking them separately makes the dish more foolproof.

If gemelli is unavailable, penne or rigatoni make good substitutes. Use large red potatoes measuring 3 inches or more in diameter.

• 3 garlic cloves , unpeeled
• 1pound large red potatoes , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 12ounces green beans , trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths (I like to cut into ½ inch pieces)
• 2cups fresh basil leaves
• 1ounce Parmesan cheese , grated (1/2 cup)
• 7tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 1tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Cup chopped chicken – I use the Costco Rotiserie Chicken (very good)

1. Toast pine nuts and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pine nuts are golden and fragrant and garlic darkens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl and let cool. Peel garlic and chop coarsely.

2. Bring 3 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until potatoes are tender but still hold their shape, 9 to 12 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to rimmed baking sheet. (Do not discard water.)

3. Meanwhile, bring ½ cup water and ¼ teaspoon salt to boil in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add green beans, cover, and cook until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain green beans and transfer to sheet with potatoes.

4. Process basil, Parmesan, oil, pine nuts, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute.

5. Add gemelli to water in large pot and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Set colander in large bowl. Drain gemelli in colander, reserving cooking water in bowl. Return gemelli to pot. Add butter, lemon juice, potatoes and green beans, pesto, 1¼ cups reserved cooking water, and ½ teaspoon pepper and stir
vigorously with rubber spatula until sauce takes on creamy appearance. Add additional cooking water as needed to adjust consistency and season with salt and pepper.

6. I served Garlic bread with it (delicious)