Lamb Meatballs With Pea Pesto
Updated Feb. 28, 2024
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ½cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼cup whole milk
- 1large egg
- ¼cup minced shallot
- 1tablespoon dried oregano
- 1½teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more for seasoning
- ½teaspoon black pepper
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 1tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1pound ground lamb
- ½cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
- 1cup fresh (or frozen) peas
- 1½packed cups/2 ounces basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- Crusty bread, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
698 calories; 56 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 31 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 588 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Step 2
In a medium bowl, combine panko, milk and egg; mix until well blended. Add shallot, oregano, salt, black pepper, red-pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon of the garlic; stir to combine. Add the lamb and gently mix until well incorporated. Form into 12 meatballs, each about 2 inches wide.
- Step 3
Arrange meatballs on a lightly greased large, rimmed baking sheet, then roast until golden and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Step 4
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan of salted boiling water, blanch the peas for 1 minute. Drain the peas, then run them under cool water until cold. Drain well and transfer to a food processor. Add basil and pulse, scraping down the sides, until coarsely chopped. Add the oil and pulse until blended but still chunky. Stir in remaining 2 teaspoons garlic; season with salt and pepper.
- Step 5
Spread some of the pea pistou on 4 serving plates; top with meatballs and more pistou. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with crusty bread.
Private Notes
Comments
Mixing lamb and peas in this way takes two classic tastes of the ancient Scottish stone cottages, with their kettles bubbling in the hearth, to a lovely new level. If you can find heritage breed lamb (e.g., Soay), all the better. It will be much less fatty and have an almost sweet mild taste. Or head to Brittany at the right time of year and enjoy the salt marsh lamb—transcendental.
I like garlic, but both my wife and I found the nearly 2 TBS of raw garlic in this dish to be absolutely overwhelming. I didn't have basil, so I used mint, but all we could taste was garlic.
One Tablespoon of garlic gets cooked in the meatballs and the 2 teaspoons go into the pistou.
Wow may be the best meatballs I’ve made. Will definitely make again even if just the meatballs w spaghetti or sub. Depending on what you’re eating with I’d definitely consider doubling the pesto we made w 1lb of gnocchi and slightly extended the pesto recipe bc we had 2 cups of basil and it was barely enough. Also added a half lemon we had sitting around and felt it was a notable improvement. Ironically we didn’t find this pea pesto as good as the one elsewhere on NYT in their Roasted Salmon, Potatoes, and Pea Pesto recipe which is a killer pea pesto that imo would cut the richness of the lamb better than this one. Still, great dinner w the gnocchi added it to my “make it again” folder!
Made just the meatballs a number of times- really good and freeze well.
These meatballs are tasty! I left out the garlic in the pesto because raw garlic isn’t really tasty. The meatballs by themselves are tasty enough without the pesto.