Chicken Piccata Meatballs with Cacio e Pepe

• Yield: 4 servings
• Total time: ~45 minutes
• Cuisine: Italian
• Course: Full Meal, Main Dish, Side Dish
• Est. cost: ~$24–$32 CAD (at time of writing)

Chicken Piccata Meatballs + Cacio e Pepe | SIMM

✨ Make-a-Meal by SIMM

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Meat & Seafood

• Ground chicken — 1 lb, 93% lean preferred

Produce

• Lemons — 2
• Shallot — 1 small
• Fresh parsley — 1 small bunch

Dairy & Eggs

• Parmesan cheese — ½ cup, grated
• Pecorino Romano — 1½ cup, finely grated
• Unsalted butter — 3 Tbsp
• Egg — 1 large

Bakery & Bread

• Panko breadcrumbs — ½ cup

Pantry

• All-purpose flour — 2 tsp
• Chicken broth — 1 cup, plus extra if needed
• Capers — 2 Tbsp, rinsed
• Table salt — ½ tsp, plus pasta water salt
• Black pepper — ¾ tsp for meatballs + 1½ tsp for pasta, plus more to taste

Oils & Fats

• Extra-virgin olive oil — ⅓ cup

Packaged / Shelf-Stable

• Spaghetti or tonnarelli — 1 lb

Mise It

Lemon Prep (microplane + citrus juicer + knife)

• Halve 1 lemon lengthwise.
• Trim the ends from 1 half, halve lengthwise again, then slice very thinly.
• Zest and juice the remaining 1½ lemons to get 1½ tsp zest and 3 Tbsp juice.

Meatball Mix (large bowl)

• Grate ½ cup Parmesan.
• Measure ½ cup panko, ¾ tsp pepper, and ½ tsp salt.
• Lightly beat 1 egg.
• Keep 1 lb ground chicken chilled until mixing.

Piccata Sauce (small bowls)

• Mince 1 shallot.
• Measure 2 tsp flour, 1 cup chicken broth, and 2 Tbsp rinsed capers.
• Cut 3 Tbsp butter into ½-inch cubes.
• Chop 1 Tbsp fresh parsley.

Pasta Setup (large pot + grater + measuring cup)

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
• Finely grate 1½ cup Pecorino Romano.
• Crack 1½ tsp black pepper.
• Place a heatproof measuring cup beside the stove for reserved pasta water.

Make It

1. COMBINE the Parmesan, panko, egg, ¾ tsp pepper, ½ tsp salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl. ADD the ground chicken and MIX gently with your hands until thoroughly combined.
2. ROLL the chicken mixture into 24 small meatballs, using moistened hands so the mixture does not stick.
3. ADD ⅓ cup olive oil to a 12-inch nonstick skillet. ARRANGE the meatballs in an even layer in the cold skillet, then PLACE over medium-high heat.
4. COOK the meatballs until well browned on the first side, about 4 minutes. TURN gently and BROWN on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes more. TRANSFER to a plate.
5. ADD the minced shallot to the fat left in the skillet and COOK over medium heat until softened, about 30 seconds. STIR IN the flour and COOK for 1 minute.
6. SLOWLY WHISK in 1 cup chicken broth. STIR IN capers, lemon slices, and lemon juice. BRING to a gentle simmer.
7. RETURN the meatballs and any accumulated juices to the skillet. SIMMER until the meatballs reach 160°F, 3 to 5 minutes, turning halfway through.
8. MEANWHILE, COOK the spaghetti until just shy of al dente. RESERVE at least 2 cups pasta water, then DRAIN.
9. REMOVE the piccata skillet from high heat. WHISK IN butter cubes one at a time until the sauce is glossy. STIR IN parsley and KEEP warm over very low heat.
10. TOAST the cracked black pepper briefly in a warm pasta pot or skillet, 30 to 60 seconds. ADD 1½ cups hot reserved pasta water and BRING to a simmer.
11. ADD the drained pasta and TOSS vigorously. REMOVE from direct heat, then ADD Pecorino gradually while tossing constantly until creamy and glossy, adding more pasta water as needed.
12. PLATE the cacio e pepe with the chicken piccata meatballs. SPOON lemon-caper sauce around the plate and FINISH with extra Pecorino, parsley, and cracked pepper.

Tools: Large bowl, microplane or fine grater, citrus juicer, chef’s knife, cutting board, 12-inch nonstick skillet, large pasta pot, colander, tongs, heatproof measuring cup, whisk, instant-read thermometer, small prep bowls.

Make-A-Meal Plating

Two plating directions for the same meal: a generous Family Style pasta-bowl view and a more polished Restaurant Style presentation with the lemon-caper sauce placed intentionally around the pasta.

Restaurant Style

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