Ricotta balls in tomato sauce is a Calabrian recipe that originated among the region’s poorer farming and peasant population, particularly, in the mountainous Sila area. Like so many of Italy’s traditional recipes, this is a combination of simple staple ingredients. However, in the past this was also a dish made on special occasions, such as carnival, by people for whom meat was a luxury. These ricotta balls are delicious with pasta or without! You can also make extra and fry or bake them!
CALABRIAN RICOTTA BALLS WITH PASTA
By Jaqueline De Bono
https://www.the-pasta-project.com/
Ingredients
For the ricotta balls:
- 500 g ricotta (1lb) cow or sheep milk ricotta
- 150 g breadcrumbs (5-6oz) or 4 thick slices of stale bread
- 30 g Parmigiano Reggiano (1oz) for vegetarians use hard cheese without animal rennet
- 30 g Pecorino cheese (1oz) or use 60g (2oz) of only one cheese if you don’t have both
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1-2 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 1 handful fresh parsley finely chopped
For tomato sauce:
- 600 g tomato passata (1.3lbs) or half cherry tomatoes and half passata. Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- Salt for pasta and to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pasta:
- 400 g short mafaldine/mafalde pasta (14oz) or fusilli, penne or paccheri
Instructions
Make the ricotta balls
- If using stale bread slices remove the crusts and blend in a food processor to make breadcrumbs. Drain the ricotta really well and then put it in a bowl and mash with a fork.
- Add the grated cheese and the breadcrumbs. Mix well.
- Add the eggs, garlic and chopped parsley mix again until you have a soft homogeneous dough. If it seems dry add a little milk. If it seems too wet, add more breadcrumbs.
- Form the dough into balls. The size depends on preference. Ours were about the size of a golf ball.
Make the tomato sauce
- Cook the garlic cloves in olive oil until they start to soften. Add the halved cherry tomatoes.
- Turn down the heat and simmer until they are soft too.
- Add the passata and continue simmering for 10 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the pasta
- While the sauce is simmering, put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta.
- Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again.
- Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet.
- When the pasta is ready drain it and put it back into the pot.
- Add some tomato sauce to the pasta and mix well.
Finish the dish!
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