Chicken Parmesan Meatballs with Pasta (Italian)

Just one meatball, big and bursting with flavour, is all it takes to make a meal.

coarse sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked
¾ lb spaghetti or other long pasta
1¾ cups plain dried breadcrumbs, divided
½ cup whole milk
1 lb ground white meat chicken
2 cups vegetable oil
3 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 16 pieces
3 cups marinara, warmed
fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine ½ cup breadcrumbs, milk, 1 tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Add chicken and stir until just combined (do not overmix). In a medium straight-sided skillet, heat oil over medium until it registers 350°F on a deep-fry thermometer.

Place remaining 1¼ cups breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Divide chicken mixture into 4 portions and flatten each into a disk. Place 4 mozzarella pieces in center of each, then form disk into a ball around cheese. Coat balls in breadcrumbs and fry until golden brown, 5 minutes, turning once. With a slotted spoon, transfer meatballs to a paper-towel-lined rimmed baking sheet and let drain 1 minute.

Discard paper towels and transfer sheet to oven. Bake meatballs until chicken is cooked through, about 14 minutes.

Divide pasta among four bowls and top each with marinara and a meatball. Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 4 servings.