Pallotte Cacio e Ova (Cheese and Egg Balls)

Name: Pallotte Cacio e Ova (Cheese and Egg Balls)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 15
Ingredients: Stale bread (only crumbs) 2.6 oz; Pecorino cheese (medium-aged) 7 oz; Eggs (2 large) 4.6 oz; Parsley 2 tsp; Black pepper to taste; Fine salt to taste; Sunflower seed oil to taste; Tomato purée 1.3 cups; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Garlic 1 clove; Basil to taste

484

Calories per serving

Vegetarian

Energy Kcal 484
Carbohydrates g 13.3
of which sugars g 2.5
Protein g 18.4
Fats g 39.6
of which saturated fat g 11.21
Fiber g 1.7
Cholesterol mg 148
Sodium mg 1381

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Makes: 15 pieces
Cost: Average

PRESENTATION

Pallotte Cacio e Ova (Cheese and Egg Balls)

Have you ever tried cheese and egg balls? They are delicious meatballs without meat, typical of Abruzzese cuisine! Soft, tasty, and rich in cheese! The cheese usually used is Rigatino, but if you can't find it, you can easily use Pecorino, and if you fear the taste is too strong, you can mix it with Parmesan or Grana. A traditional country recipe, still much appreciated and served in all the typical trattorias in the area today. Making them is really simple, once the dough is prepared, you just need to roll them into balls, fry them, and then simmer them in sauce. You can enjoy the cheese and egg balls as an appetizer or as a second course, or alternatively, you can make them in a mini version to prepare a vegetarian version of the spaghetti alla chitarra with meatballs. Pallotte Cacio e Ova (Cheese and Egg Balls) are truly indulgent, made with just a few simple ingredients!

If you're looking for more meatless meatballs, also try the ricotta balls and the bread balls in a pan. Alternatively, also try the meatballs with pepper sauce, genuine and tasty!

INGREDIENTS

484

Calories per serving

Ingredients for 15 balls: Stale bread 2.6 oz (75 g) - (only crumbs); Pecorino cheese 7 oz (200 g) - (medium-aged); Eggs 4.6 oz (130 g) - (2 large); Parsley 2 tsp (10 g); Black pepper to taste; Fine salt to taste

for frying: Sunflower seed oil to taste

for the sauce: Tomato purée 1.3 cups (300 g); Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Garlic 1 clove; Basil to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Pallotte Cacio e Ova (Cheese and Egg Balls)

To prepare the Pallotte Cacio e Ova (Cheese and Egg Balls), first make the tomato sauce. In a pot, pour a drizzle of oil, add a clove of garlic 1 and let it brown for a couple of minutes over low heat. Then add the tomato purée 2, stir 3, and let it cook for about 20 minutes, always over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare the dough for the cheese and egg balls. First, chop the parsley 5, then cut the stale bread crumbs 4. Transfer them to a mixer 6 and blend until you get crumbs.

Transfer the bread crumbs into a bowl 7, add the grated Pecorino cheese 8 and the eggs 9.

Also add the parsley 10, the pepper 11, and the salt 12.

Work the mixture vigorously with your hands for a few minutes until you get a homogeneous mixture 13. Form the balls by taking a portion of the dough and rolling it between your hands 14. You will get a total of 15 15.

Heat plenty of vegetable oil until it reaches a temperature of 320°F-340°F. Immerse a few pieces at a time 16 and cook for a couple of minutes, until they are golden brown. Drain them 17 and transfer them to a tray with paper towels 18.

At this point, the sauce will also be cooked; add the balls to the sauce 19, let them cook for another ten minutes, and turn off the heat. Add some basil leaves, remove the garlic 20, and serve your Pallotte Cacio e Ova 21!

How to store

You can store the Pallotte Cacio e Ova (Cheese and Egg Balls) in the refrigerator for 2 days.

You can freeze the raw balls.

Tips

It's also possible to use different cheeses besides Pecorino since it's a "poor" recipe. You can use various aged and semi-aged cheeses to make the recipe.

If the bold taste of cheese and egg balls has won you over, try using the same mixture to stuff artichokes, like in our recipe for Egg and Cheese Stuffed Artichoke!

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.