Don’t let the name fool you. Pallotte cacio e ovo is an Italian dish that is just so delicious and fun to make. You can even get the kids involved if you like. What I will say is that this dish is can be a labour of love, but don’t let that stop you. Like myself, I always makes this dish on a weekend so that I can take my time and there is no shame to admitting that you can have a vino or two while enjoying the cook.
Whether you make this an entree or as a main dish, once you have it you will want make this again and again.
Stale Bread & Cheese Balls (pallotte cacio e ovo)
Course: DinnerCuisine: Italian4
servings50
minutes35
minutesTo make the sauce
3 Tbsp 3 extra virgin olive oil
2 2 spring onions, roughly chopped
1 clove 1 garlic, extra, finely chopped
1 clove 1 garlic, skin on, bashed with the back of a knife
1/4 1/4 red or green capsicum coarsely chopped
1 small 1 celery stick, finely chopped
400 g 400 tin tomatoes
200 g 200 water
Salt & pepper to taste
- TO MAKE THE BALLS
200 g 200 day-old Italian bread (e.g. pane di casa or ciabatta), remove crusts, break into chunks
1 1 egg lightly beaten
1 cup 1 of milk
2 cups 2 finely grated parmesan or pecorino
3 tbsp 3 roughly chopped basil
3 tbsp 3 roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
olive oil, for deep-frying
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
- Start by making the balls by soaking the bread in the milk for 20 minutes.
- Squeeze out any excess milk then, with your hands, break down the bread to a pulp.
- Add the cheese, egg and herbs & mix to make a sticky batter.
- Season the mix to taste with salt & pepper, then rest in the fridge for another 20 minutes.
- While that’s resting, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the spring onion, garlic, capsicum & celery, stirring, for 3–4 minutes.
- Add the water and tinned tomatoes, season with salt & bring to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low & cook for about 20 minutes.
- Shape the mixture into balls.
- While the sauce is slowly cooking away, half fill fry pan with olive oil & heat over medium heat. You can test the heat with a little bit of bread, if it browns within 15 secs it’s ready.
- Add the balls to the oil in batches & cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden & cooked through.
- Carefully remove the balls and drain on a plate lined with paper towel.
- Add the cooked dumplings to the tomato sauce, cover with the lid & stand, off the heat, for at least 45 minutes to an hour before serving.
- Serve it up warm or reheat it, garnished with basil leaves.
Notes
- Leave everything sit for at least 45 minutes to an hour before serving.This allows all the flavours to combine & your balls will also soak up some of the sauce.
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