Cream Cheese Pasta with Crispy Chicken Meatballs

1 Adult Serving = 2 Kids Servings

Tip the chicken mince into a mixing bowl. Crack in the egg, add the breadcrumbs and season with salt and black pepper. Mix everything well with your hands, then roll into small, kid-friendly meatballs, about the size of a walnut. Pop them in the fridge for 10 mins to firm up.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Once boiling, drop in the linguine and cook following pack instructions.

Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the garlic. Dice the courgettes. Finely grate the Parmesan. Zest the lemon and set aside.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat with a lug of olive oil. Once hot, add the meatballs and fry for 12–15 mins, turning often, until golden all over and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Place a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat and add another drizzle of oil. Once hot, add the diced courgettes and fry for 3–4 mins until just golden and softening. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.

If you’ve got fussy eaters, now’s your moment: scoop the cooked courgettes out and set them aside, leaving the garlicky oil behind.

Add a ladle of pasta water to the garlicky oil and stir through the cream cheese. Mix until smooth and saucy.

Drain the pasta and toss it straight into the sauce. Add another splash of pasta water, then turn off the heat and stir through the grated Parmesan and juice of the half a lemon. Fold in the meatballs, saving a few for smaller plates if needed.

Serve up!

Kids Plate: Dish out the pasta, with the reserved courgettes (if using), some more Parmesan and the chicken meatballs on the side.

Parents Plate: Dish out the courgette pasta and meatballs. Top with the basil leaves and scatter over the lemon zest, extra parmesan and black pepepr.