Olive-Mint Pesto Meatballs with Fettuccine

• Recipe by Grace Parisi

Some cooks are surprised when Grace tells them she mixes pesto into meatballs to add flavor quickly. If you're pressed for time, good store-bought pesto works too.

Ingredients

1. 3 slices good quality packaged white bread, crusts removed, bread torn
2. 1/3 cup whole milk
3. Olive-Mint Pesto
4. 1 scallion, thinly sliced
5. 1 large egg
6. 3/4 pound ground turkey
7. 3/4 pound ground beef
8. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
9. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10. 3/4 pound fettuccine
11. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

1. In a large bowl, soak the bread in the milk for 1 minute, mashing it. Using your hand, press out the milk and drain it off. Add 1/3 cup of the pesto, the scallion and the egg to the soaked bread and mash to a paste. Add the ground turkey and beef and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Mix until well blended.
2. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Using lightly moistened hands, roll the meat mixture into twenty-four 1 1/2-inch balls and transfer to the baking sheet.
3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned all over and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the fettuccine until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Transfer the fettuccine to a large bowl. Add the remaining 2/3 cup of pesto and a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water and toss until the pasta is evenly coated and moistened. Transfer the pasta to a large platter, leaving some of the pesto in the bowl. Add the meatballs to the bowl and toss with any remaining pesto. Scatter the meatballs on the fettuccine, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.