I continue my randomly-selected recipe review, from Stagioni, today. But, how did I get here? Well, I was a bit disappointed that my culinary ridealong of the 2023 Giro was interrupted by losing my phone and figured I’d offer some other Italian dishes instead. I had some really great dishes photographed, and some not yet cooked, in the works for you all. Things like Risotto al Barolo (I ended up using the leftover dried borlotti beans in my last post), delicious Italian sausage and grapes, crispy frico, beef involtini, casoncelli, scarpaccia, and even a homemade version of raclette when they ventured into the Swiss alps. I hope to remake all of these for future Giros.
Things don’t always work out as you envision them…and such is the way today’s recipe, from Olivia Cavalli, turned out for me. The end result was still delicious, but the envisioned balls (polpette) of ricotta turned out to be more like patties (tortini) as I found there was not enough of a binding agent for these Polpette di Ricotta. As they baked, they deflated in the oven, then the panic really set in once I placed some into the sauce. They all started falling apart, turning a vibrantly red sauce into more like a vodka sauce. While I’m not exactly sure how to make these ricotta balls stay in spherical form, I have adjusted the cooking method slightly so that you can avoid altering the sauce as the author originally envisioned.
Fried Ricotta Patties with Pomodoro Sauce
adapted from Polpette di Ricotta con Salsa di Pomodoro, Stagioni, Oliva Cavalli
Patties
12 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
5 oz stale bread, torn
Milk
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
⅓ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Dried breadcrumbs
Olive oil for frying
Sauce
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, peeled and lightly smashed
28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes (or 2/25 lbs fresh ripe tomatoes)
2 sprigs of basil
Place the ricotta in a cheesecloth-lined sieve placed over a bowl and allow any moisture to drip away for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place the bread in a small bowl with about 1 tbsp of milk and mix until the bread is moist.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Place the garlic in a dutch oven with the oil over medium-low heat and warm for about 5 minutes, or until the garlic is golden all over.
Add in the juice and canned tomatoes, breaking them up in your hands as you drop them in, along with a light pinch of salt. Swirl some water in the can and pour into the pot, along with the basil. Cook covered for about 10 minutes, then cook uncovered until thick and saucy, about another 40 minutes. Hold until ready to serve.
Once the ricotta has drained, transfer it to a clean dry bowl, add in the grated cheeses, egg, parsley and some salt and pepper. Squeeze any moisture from the soaking bread and add to the bowl. Mix well with a fork. Place some dried breadcrumbs in a shallow platter/bowl.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
Using your hands, pick up about a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture and form into rough ball shapes. Drop them into the breadcrumbs and roll/toss around. Reshape and place on the prepared baking sheet, repeating with the remaining cheese mixture.
Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. They will still be soft and will have flattened. Heat some olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Using a non-stick flat spatula, transfer the ricotta patties into the oil and fry in 2 batches until firmed and crisped on the exterior on both sides. Remove and place on a paper towel to wick away the remaining oil.
To serve, spoon the sauce on a platter, or individual dishes, topping with the fried cheese patties. Sprinkle on some more grated cheese and minced parsley.
______________________________ Copyright 2023, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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