Chicken and Sage Meatballs with Risoni
Ingredients
Chicken and Sage Meatballs
- 500 grams chicken mince
- 1 slice bread - day old, roughly torn
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic clove/s
- 10 grams sage - half for the meatballs, half for the risoni
- 2 tbsp parsley
- ¼ cup parmesan - grated
Risoni
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 onion - finely diced
- 2 garlic clove/s
- 1 cup risoni
- 200 grams mushrooms - roughly chopped
- 250 grams cherry tomatoes
- 120 grams baby spinach
- 600 ml chicken stock
- ⅓ cream
- ¼ parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- Step 1 - Make the meatballs. Place the bread, onion, garlic, sage and parsley in a blender and chop until fine. Add milk and let rest for a minute.
- In a medium sized bowl add the chicken mince, parmesan and season well with salt and pepper, Add the rested mixture and combine well.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper. Form meatballs into heaped tablespoon sizes (5 meatballs per person) and place on the tray, Spray or drizzle with a little olive oil. Pop in the oven to cook for 20 minutes.
- Step 2 - Dice the onions and slice the mushrooms for the risoni.
- Step 3 - Place the butter in a large, deep frypan on the stove and melt on medium heat. Add sage leaves and cook until crisp (about 2 minutes). Remove and transfer to a plate.
- Step 4 - Add the olive oil and onions to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook for a further minute. Stir in the risoni and pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer, add tomatoes and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step 5 - Stir through the spinach, pour in the cream and add parmesan. Let spinach wilt and season with cracked pepper.
- Step 6 - Serve the meatballs over the risoni. Garnish with the crispy sage and extra parmesan.
Tips and Variations
GLUTEN FREE - Replace the risoni with GF pasta - try fettuccini broken into smaller pieces, or you could make it into a risotto instead. You will need more stock for a risotto - 1-2 cups.
Take it up a notch by roasting the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray at the same time as you cook the meatballs. Stir though risoni before serving.
