Recipe
Directions:
Begin your sauce by sautéing the onion in olive oil in a large pan until translucent. Add the can of tomatoes into the pan and smash them up with a potato masher. Bring to a boil, stir and lower to a simmer for 25 min, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat until balls are fried.Mix eggs and cream in a mixing bowl. Add the bread cubes and let sit for 20 minutes. Then crush the bread mixture up until smooth. Add cheese, parsley, and olive oil. Form into balls slightly smaller than a walnut.
Heat frying oil to 160 degrees, fry in small batches until golden brown, let them drain slightly on paper towels. Put them in pan with tomato sauce and over low heat for 8 minutes, turning gently once.
Serve garnished with fresh basil and parmigiano reggiano.
About Chef Stephanie Brunell
I was born and raised in Northern Wisconsin, and have had a passion for food and cooking since a very young age. As a young women I moved around the state and loved to try various ethnic foods. When my children were young I began teaching them to cook. Once they were all in school I decided to go to culinary school. I’ve been lucky enough to travel out of the country, as well as visit many of our states, and experience many cultures and food genres.
I was a head chef for several years, and sadly had to step away from that line of work after being diagnosed with Breast Cancer. I am 4 years cancer free at the moment, and have a renewed passion for cooking for my family and friends.
I have a special place in my heart for Italian food, and that tends to be the cooking style I prefer. There’s something special about pouring a glass of wine and cooking a home style Italian meal for your family. Buon appetito!!
STARTER
Abruzzo Pallotte Cacio e Ove
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30
PREP
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30
COOK
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965
CALORIES
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4
SERVINGS
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A comforting and delicious dish of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese and Bread fried puff balls, in the Abruzzo Region in Italy style tomato sauce. A common dish much like meatball marinara, but without any meat.
Ingredients:
Dough
2 Eggs
2 1/2 cups freshly shredded parmigiano regianno
2 cups cubes of white Italian Bread without crust
2 Table Spoons finely chopped fresh Italian Parsley
1 Tbsp heavy cream
2 Tbsp Olive oil
Sauce
1 can Plum Tomatoes whole
1 sweet onion diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
Oil for frying
Garnish with 2 Tbsp sliced fresh Basil, and 3 Tbsp freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
Notes:
While on a culinary tour of Italy, we found ourselves in the beautiful mountains of Abruzzo. I experienced a wonderful meal that I had the opportunity to help prepare. That was the first time I had heard of these cheesy delicious bread balls, that were similar to meatballs, but were lighter and very cheesy. When I returned from Italy I was inspired to make something similar and use parmigiano reggiano, instead of pecorino that was used in Abruzzo. The ingredients are simple, but make such a comforting homey meal.
Pairing:
I pair this recipe with a red blend, a Merlot, or Multepluciano de Abruzzo. Prosecco is also a refreshing choice with this dish as well.