Ricotta and herb balls
Ricotta and herb balls are a vegetarian dish of the Romagna peasant tradition
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
Tomato sauce
- 1 small celery stalk
- 1 small carrot
- 1 yellow onion, small
- 1 g of salt
- 20 g of olive oil
- 100 g of guanciale optional
- 200 g of tomato passata
- 100 g of room-temperature water
- 50 g of milk
- salt and olive oil to taste
Ricotta and herb balls
- 300 g of cow ricotta cheese
- 100 g of chicory or arugula
- 50 g of dandelion or spinach
- 50 g of bladder campion or spinach
- 50 g of breadcrumbs
- 30 g of grated Parmigiano
- 1 egg
- 3 g of salt add salt to your taste
Instructions
Sauce
- Wash the carrot and celery. Remove the onion's outer skin and inner green heart.
- Finely chop the sautéed vegetables and pour them into a large saucepan; add salt and olive oil, and cook gently over medium-low heat for a few minutes before adding the finely chopped guanciale (optional)
- Cook for a few more minutes over medium-low heat; add the sauce and water and wait two minutes before pouring the milk. Then, stir and let the sauce hum on low flame for 10-15 minutes. Taste, add salt if needed, turn it off, and let the sauce rest.
Herb balls
- Put ricotta in a colander and let drain for 30 minutes.
- Wash herbs and boil in unsalted water for 20 minutes. Turn off, drain, let cool, squeeze the herbs, and finely chop with a knife.
- In a bowl, mash the ricotta with a fork.
- Gather ricotta, herbs, bread crumbs, Parmesan, a pinch of salt, and the egg in a bowl. Mix first with a fork and then with your hands.
- Let the meatball dough rest for 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Form equal-sized meatballs using a spoon to help with the quantity. I make about 20.
- Lay the meatballs in the sauce and cook uncovered on a medium-low stove for ten minutes. Halfway through cooking, gently turn them over.
- Turn off the heat and let rest a few minutes, uncovered, before serving.
- You can prepare them the day before and store them in the refrigerator.
- Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days.