Fettuccine with cilantro-almond pesto and chicken meatballs

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Makes: 5 to 6 servings

You can swap in frozen chicken meatballs for homemade. Or use 4 or 5 fully-cooked chicken sausages; slice them and brown lightly in a skillet before serving.

Chicken and spinach meatballs: 1 large egg, beaten 1 pound ground chicken (or turkey) ½ cup panko or dried breadcrumbs ½ cup chopped fresh baby spinach or arugula 2 green onions, thinly sliced or 2 tablespoons dried chives ½ small jalapeno, seeded, minced, optional 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon dried basil ¼ teaspoon each: dried oregano, black pepper

Cilantro-almond pesto:

½ cup blanched whole, sliced or slivered almonds, 2 ½ ounces

2 or 3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves (OK to leave on small stems)

½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped (about 1 ounce total)

½ cup olive oil

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon or ½ teaspoon lemon oil ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Expeller-pressed canola, safflower or sunflower oil 1 pound fettuccine noodles, or linguine or tagliatelle 1½ cups cooked or roasted corn kernels, optional

1½ cups roughly chopped fresh ripe tomatoes (or a 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained)

Fresh herb sprigs

Grated queso anejo, cotija or Asiago cheese

1. For the meatballs, lightly beat the egg in a large bowl. Add remaining meatball ingredients in order listed. Use clean hands to combine. Form 16 meatballs, each 1½ inches in diameter. Place them on a baking sheet. Refrigerate, covered, about 30 minutes (or up to 12 hours).

2. For pesto, process almonds in a high-speed blender or food processor until finely chopped. Add garlic, cilantro and basil. With machine running, add oil and 1 tablespoon water in a slow steady stream until mixture is smooth. Scrape into a bowl; stir in lemon zest, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. Makes about ¾ cup. (Can be refrigerated for several days; scrape into a small jar and add a layer of olive oil on top to completely cover pesto — this prevents browning. Cover with a lid and refrigerate. Use at room temperature.)

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Coat the skillet lightly with canola oil. Add meatballs in an uncrowded layer. Cover with a splatter guard. Cook, turning often, until golden brown on all sides, 12 to 14 minutes. (Reduce heat to medium-low to avoid over-browning.) Use warm or refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days. Reheat gently in the microwave before using.

4. Heat a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add fettuccine and cook, stirring often, until al dente (nearly tender when a strand is bitten), about 10 minutes. Scoop out and save about ½ cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta. Pour into a large heated serving bowl. Top with pesto; toss to mix. Add dribbles of the reserved cooking water if needed to loosen things up a bit. Add corn and tomatoes. Toss gently. Add meatballs. Garnish with herb sprigs. Serve right away, passing the cheese at the table.

Nutrition information per serving (for 6 servings): 719 calories, 38 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 96 mg cholesterol, 67 g carbohydrates, 2 g sugar, 29 g protein, 675 mg sodium, 6 g fiber