Ricotta cheese balls with sauce recipe

Ricotta cheese balls with sauce is traditional of Calabrian cuisine, made of very simple, but genuine, delicious ingredients.

It is a second course with ricotta instead of meat, dipped in tomato sauce to became softer and tastier!

Tasty and nutritious, ricotta cheese balls with sauce are perfect for a vegetarian menu but can also be transformed into a gluten-free recipe if you use gluten-free bread.

 

The ingredients to prepare ricotta cheese balls with sauce

  • 350 g Sheep's milk ricotta cheese
  • 140 g Homemade bread
  • 60 g Pecorino cheese- to be grated
  • 40 g Parmigiano Reggiano DOP cheese - to be grated
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • Parsley
  • Fine salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste

For the sauce

  • 750 g Tomato puree
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • Basil to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Calabrian Red Chili Pepper to taste

 

How to prepare ricotta cheese balls with sauce

Start preparing the ricotta cheese balls with sauce, drain the whey from the sheep's milk ricotta by placing it in a narrow mesh strainer in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours.

Then proceed remove the crust of the bread, cut the soft part out and then finely chop it in the mixer. Meanwhile, take the ricotta cheese and sieve it with a narrow mesh strainer. Place the chopped crumbs in a large bowl with the sifted ricotta cheese, then add the crushed half clove of garlic and whole beaten eggs. Add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino cheese, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Then mix all the ingredients well with a fork. Mix well until soft but compact. Put a little oil on the palms of your hands and, taking a portion of the dough, form meatballs of about 1 3/4 tbsp (30 g) each. Continue until you have about 25 pieces.

Set aside and proceed with the preparation of the sauce: brown the extra virgin olive oil and a clove of garlic in a pan; once the garlic is golden, remove it from the heat. Add the tomato puree, a pinch of salt and basil leaves, then add Calabrian red chili pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a boil over low heat, then add the ricotta meatballs you have prepared, distributing them evenly. Leave to cook for about 10 minutes over low heat. Once the time has elapsed, turn off and serve the ricotta cheese balls with sauce while hot.

You can match your meatballs on a good integral frese.