POLPETTE DI CACIO e UOVA (Meatless balls made with cheese and eggs)

Or as known in my birthplace "Pallotte Cace e Ove".  This is a typical dish which flavors   bring me back to my childhood in Casalbordino, (Abruzzo):  A time when meat was scarce and only seasonal products were used.  A time when dishes were marked by the rhythm of the season and modified only by the arrival of Sundays and religious holidays.

Eggs, cheese and day-old bread are mixed together, shaped into balls and fried, then simmered in sugo semplice (meatless tomato sauce).

Sauce or Sugo semplice

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 lb. ripe tomatoes finally chopped (alternate 2 cans good San Marzano canned tomatoes)
Sprigs of parsley and basil
Hot pepper (optional)
Salt and Pepper

Heat the oil in saucepan over moderate heat, add the onion and cook until golden.  Add the tomatoes and remaining ingredients.  Simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes.

Ingredients for Pallotte:

1. 2 cups of mixed grated cheeses (my choice Gran Padano, Parmigiano e Pecorino)
2. 4 eggs
3. 1 cup of stale, artisan bread, crusts removed and soaked in water and squeezed dried
4. 1 or 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
5. A few sprigs of finely chopped fresh parsley
6. Salt and pepper
7. 1/2 cup olive oil for frying

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.  Let the mixture rest for a while.

Use damp hands to form 1 1/2-to-2-inch balls. (I like them oval or egg shaped).

Shallow fry in olive oil until golden brown, turning the balls as needed so they brown evenly.

Once all of the pallotte are fried, transfer them to the tomato sauce (sugo semplice) and let them simmer for a good 30 minutes.  The pallotte will swell as they cook and resemble sponges.

Serve immediately.

TIMBALLO DI MACCHERONI E MELANZANE

Among the many dishes on the table at Christmas time, I add this inviting TIMBALLO made with pasta and eggplant.

Timballo
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Curiosity:  The dish gets its name from an ancient percussion instrument, the drum, which was inspired by a cylindrical container where the dish originally was cooked.

Varieties of timballo differ from region to region. Sometimes it’s known as a bomba, tortino sartu (a Neapolitan version) or pasticcio.  Simply, it's an Italian molded dish, typically with pasta or rice with filling of meat or vegetables.  Although there are many versions of timballo, I like the timballo with pasta and melanzane ( eggplant).

The dish is prepared in a dome.  I use a springform pan. 










Ingredients
1/2 lb. pasta (I use Ziti Rigati)
2 small eggplants
2 cups of tomato purée,
1 shallot
1 cup grated provolone
4 oz. butter
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Sprig of parsley (minced)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Wash and mince parsley leaves.  Wash the eggplants and cut into small chunks.  Place the eggplant pieces in a colander and under press to eliminate water.  Add some salt and leave under press for 30 minutes.  Remove the eggplant pieces, rinse, dry and fry in olive oil.  Remove and place on paper towels.

Mince the shallot and saute' in a thread of olive oil.  Add the tomato purée, eggplant and parsley.  Mix well and cook for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the maccheroni in salted water.  Drain and mix with tomato sauce.  Butter the springform pan or mold.  Cover with breadcrumbs.  Distribute half of the pasta into the pan or mold.  Add grated provolone.  Add other half of the pasta and remaining provolone.

Bake the timballo for 30 minutes in a pre-heated 375 degree oven.  Remove and let it rest for 5. 

If a mold is used, run a knife around the edge of timballo to loosen, then invert a platter over mold and invert timballo onto platter.   Remove mold and it's ready to serve.

If a springform pan is used, run a knife around the edge of timballo to loosen and remove the springform pan.




 

Let's Take the "MEAT" Out of Meatballs - Part II

Vegetarian Balls (Polpette di Vegetali)

Vegetarian Balls

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb. potatoes

½ lb. chopped spinach

1 carrot

1 cup fresh peas (if not availabe use frozen peas)

1 finely chopped onion

2 eggs

½ cup parmiggiano reggiano

One or two tablespoons of milk

2 tablespoons of chopped basil

2 teaspoons of paprika

3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 cup of vegetable oil for frying

Sauce (see below)

Preparation

Wash the potatoes and boil them for about 25 minutes. Once cooled, remove skin and rice them. Boil the carrot until soft. Cook washed spinach in its own water. Boil peas for about 10 minutes. In a pan add the extra –virgin olive oil, saute’ onion, add cooked spinach, carrot and peas, salt and pepper. Mix together and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Incorporate the potato puree, the cooked vegetables, cheese and eggs and milk. Mix well together and form into balls the size of a peach.

In a pan, add 1 cup vegetable oil. When hot, saute’ the vegetable balls few at a time. Remove into a plate with paper towel.

On a platter place the sauce, add the vegetable balls and sprinkle the balls with paprika and serve.

Sauce

6 fresh tomatoes or 2 cups chopped canned tomatoes

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove sliced garlic

Basil sprig

Parsley sprig

Salt and pepper

In a saucepan,add oil, saute’ garlic until golden, add tomatoes, parsley, basil, salt and pepper

Simmer for 20 minutes.

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