Lamb Meatballs in Pistachio Pesto

Name: Lamb Meatballs in Pistachio Pesto
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 16

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In Italy, Easter is traditionally celebrated with some kind of lamb dish. This fun twist on classic meatballs is a crowd-pleasing way to get lamb on the Easter table.

In Italy, Easter feasts are almost always centered around a main course of lamb: beautiful stuffed legs of lamb or braised lamb shanks are customary centerpiece dishes. These meatballs are a delicious shortcut to getting lamb on the Easter table with much less fuss!

Pistachio pesto from Kazzen makes a delicious pairing, but you can substitute it by blending roughly 6 ounces of shelled pistachios with just enough olive oil to help it come together.

Lamb Meatballs in Pistachio Pesto

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Servings

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more to finish

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1 large egg
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided, plus more for garnish

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1 teaspoon lemon zest, from 1 lemon
1/3 cup chopped mint
1/3 cup chopped basil
1 pound ground lamb
1 (6.34 ounce) jar pistachio pesto
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to finish
1 tablespoon water
Baby arugula, to serve
Lemon wedges, to serve

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Oil rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil.
In a medium bowl whisk together the egg, milk and breadcrumbs. Allows the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Stir in the ricotta, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup parmesan, lemon zest, mint and basil. Using your hands, gently fold in the lamb.
Scoop 2 tablespoon sized mounds of the meat mixture and roll between your hands to smooth into balls. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon olive oil and bake, flipping them 3/4 of the way through, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a clean large bowl mix together the pistachio pesto, lemon juice, water, remaining 1/2 cup parmesan and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. When the meatballs are cooked, remove them to the bowl and toss gently to coat the meatballs in the sauce. Serve over arugula with a drizzle of olive oil, squeeze of lemon and sprinkling of parmesan cheese.