Vegetarian, delicious and quick to make. These ricotta balls are the perfect summer meal. And the recipe of this vegetarian balls from Calabria is so old that today no one can say exactly where it comes from.
Milk is my meat
Calabrian cuisine is down-to-earth, farm-based and closely linked to regional customs. Sheep have been raised here in the mountainous, barren landscape of southern Italy for thousands of years. However, meat was reserved for feast days, outside the liturgical fasting periods, of course. But since meat recipes often tasted very good, the women of Calabria created vegetarian versions of their favourite dishes centuries ago. Thus, instead of lamb or mutton, sheep ricotta was simply added to the little dumplings.
If you can only get cow's milk ricotta in the store, at least replace the Parmesan with Pecorino. Fine palates will taste the difference.
📖 Recipe
Ricotta balls in tomato sugo
Ingredients
- 350 g ricotta, sheep
- 140 g bread crumbs, soft white
- 1 small bunch parsley
- ½ clove garlic
- 50 g Pecorino, grated
- 50 g Parmesan, grated
- 2 eggs
- salt
Sugo
- olive oil, extra virgin
- garlic
- 750 g tomato purée
- 1 small bunch basil
- salt
Instructions
For the balls
- put the ricotta in a fine sieve and leave to drain overnight in the refrigerator. Cut the crust from the white bread, weigh the inner part of the bread and finely mix it together with the parsley. Then add the ricotta, crushed garlic, eggs and the grated cheese and mix everything well. Season to taste with salt. Grease your hands with oil and roll the dough into even balls, not too big.
For the sugo
- heat the oil in a deep pan. Fry the peeled whole garlic clove in the oil until golden brown. Remove the garlic and add the tomatoes and basil leaves. Add salt to taste. Once the sauce is boiling, place the balls in the sauce and simmer gently all together for about 10 minutes. Serve with fresh bread and sprinkled with basil.
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