Calabrian Ricotta Balls in Tomato Sauce with Pasta

Method5 steps · about 1 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: If using four thick stale-bread slices instead of 150 g breadcrumbs, remove their crusts and blend them to crumbs. Drain the ricotta (500 g) well and mash it with a fork. Mix in the chosen crumbs and 30 g Parmigiano plus 30 g Pecorino, or 60 g of one cheese instead of both. Use vegetarian cheese for a vegetarian version. Add the two beaten eggs, finely chopped ricotta-ball garlic and parsley. Mix to a soft homogeneous dough; add a little milk if dry or extra breadcrumbs if wet. Form balls, about golf-ball size in the source example.

   Uses 500 g well-drained ricotta · 150 g breadcrumbs only if selecting this route · 30 g Parmigiano together with 30 g Pecorino, or use the single-cheese 60 g alternative instead · 30 g Pecorino together with 30 g Parmigiano, or use the single-cheese 60 g alternative instead · 2 beaten eggs · Separate 1–2 finely chopped cloves for balls · 1 handful parsley, finely chopped; literal unmeasured volume · A little milk only if mixture is dry; amount unstated

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Soften the two sauce garlic cloves in olive oil. For the 600 g passata/canned-tomato route, add all the passata or canned tomatoes. For the half-fresh route, first simmer 300 g halved cherry tomatoes until soft, then add 300 g passata. Simmer the chosen sauce for 10 minutes and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

   Simmer Tomato Sauce · 10 minUses Olive oil for sauce, amount unstated · Separate 2 garlic cloves for sauce · 300 g halved cherry tomatoes only for the half-fresh route · 600 g passata/canned tomatoes, or 300 g passata when paired with 300 g cherry tomatoes · Season sauce to taste · Freshly ground pepper to taste

3. 3

   Step 3: While sauce simmers, boil pasta water, add salt and return it to a boil. Cook the chosen 400 g short pasta al dente according to package directions; drain, return to pot, add some tomato sauce and mix.

   Cook Pasta · 10 minUses Unmeasured pot of pasta water · Salt pasta water · 400 g chosen short pasta · Sauce from step 2; use some to coat pasta

4. 4

   Step 4: While pasta cooks, add the formed ricotta balls to the remaining tomato sauce and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Turn them carefully, then simmer another 5–10 minutes until cooked through. Plate the pasta coated with some sauce and top each portion with 2–3 cooked ricotta balls and more sauce.

   First 5 min; turn, cook 5–10 · 5 minUses Raw ricotta balls formed in step 1 · Prepared sauce from step 2 · Cooked pasta coated with sauce in step 3

5. 5

   Step 5: Serve immediately with more grated cheese if desired.

   Uses Finished pasta, ricotta balls and sauce · Optional extra grated cheese for serving