Pork and Ricotta Polpette in Tomato Sauce
These delicious bite-sized morsels of lightly spiced pork and ricotta are soft, tender, and coated with a rich tomato sauce. The secret to perfect polpette is in the mixing. You need to think of the mixture like bread dough and mix it thoroughly until the protein starts to bond and the mix becomes sticky. It takes a few minutes, and you do need clean hands. It’s a good idea to remove jewellery - I know a woman who lost her wedding ring in the mix and didn’t find out until she had baked the polpette!
Ingredients
220g white bread (1/3 loaf), crusts removed, cut into cubes
1 kg lean ground pork
100g thickly sliced pancetta, finely diced
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
150g (2/3 cup) ricotta cheese
120g (1 cup) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed chilli
salt
pepper
120ml white wine
2 400g cans crushed tomatoes
¼ bunch basil, shredded
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the bread into a food processor and make coarse crumbs using the pulse function. Place the crumbs in a large bowl and add the pork, pancetta, eggs, ricotta, half the pecorino, parsley, oregano, fennel seeds, crushed red chilli, half teaspoon salt and half teaspoon pepper. Use clean hands and mix the ingredients until the mixture becomes sticky. Place 3 rounded teaspoons of the mixture in the palms of your hands shape them into meatballs. You should be able to make 24. Place the polpette onto an oiled roasting tray.
Roast the polpette for 30 minutes or until firm and browned. Loosen the polpette using a spatula. Deglaze the pan wine the wine. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Lower the oven to 160°C. Cook for a further 1½ hours uncovered. Turn the meatballs occasionally. When done, sprinkle with the remaining pecorino and basil. Serve hot with crusty bread, a salad, and a glass of Passing Clouds Pinot Noir.
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SHOP THE RECIPE
Pork and Ricotta Polpette with Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 220g white bread (1/3 loaf), crusts removed, cut into cubes
- 1 kg lean ground pork
- 100g thickly sliced pancetta, finely diced
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 150g (2/3 cup) ricotta cheese
- 120g (1 cup) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed chili
- salt
- pepper
- 120ml white wine
- 2 400g cans crushed tomatoes
- ¼ bunch basil, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Place the bread into a food processor and make coarse crumbs using the pulse function.
- Place the crumbs in a large bowl and add the pork, pancetta, eggs, ricotta, half the pecorino, parsley, oregano, fennel seeds, crushed red chili, half teaspoon salt and half teaspoon pepper.
- Use clean hands and mix the ingredients until the mixture becomes sticky. Place 3 rounded teaspoons of the mixture in the palms of your hands shape them into meatballs. You should be able to make 24.
- Place the polpette onto an oiled roasting tray. Roast the polpette for 30 minutes or until firm and browned.
- Loosen the polpette using a spatula. Deglaze the pan wine the wine. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Lower the oven to 160°C.
- Cook for a further 2 hours uncovered. Turn the meatballs occasionally.
- When done, sprinkle with the remaining pecorino and basil. Serve hot with crusty bread, a salad, and a glass of Passing Clouds Pinot Noir.