Meatless Ricotta Polpette

I always thought Polpette to be one of those recipes that were un-veganizable. Sure, you can make awesome veggie Falafels, Arancinis, and all sorts of fried balls ; but this saucy softness you get with tomato meatballs ? No can't do. I was binge-reading food questions and answers on Quora, as I usually do, when I fell onto a funny, specific question : what to do with ricotta leftovers ? When I saw an answer on ricotta polpette with a sexy, saucy photo attached, I knew I was going to make it, and sooner rather than later. So I did. And I was mind-blown ; how could just a few ingredients, and not the boldest, yield such a profound flavour ? As I often say in my dear italian recipes, the secret lies in the quality of your ingredients. And, I confess, a healthy amount of cheeses -yes, plural : we invited ricotta, pecorino and parmigiano to the party here. True, the end result had nothing to do with meatballs in terms of taste ; but it was the same pleasure, with a real overall softness and sauciness. This recipe feels both light and comforting, and can be done on a weeknight.    

Meatless Ricotta Polpette - Recipe

Ingredients - Advice & key points

I usually go to Eataly to get the produce I need. If you don't have one near your location, you can find fresh produce like parmigiano, pecorino and ricotta at your local Italian deli.

• Cheeses :
  • Try to find quality ricotta ! It needs to be quite firm. The one I used was this one : 
  • Don't forget to drain it properly before using.
  • If you want to use basic ricotta from your supermarket, you can ; simply use more panko breadcrumbs, since this type of ricotta is more liquidy.   
  • Try to use decent Pecorino and Parmigiano that you grate yourself, as those 2 ingredients are central to the end taste. 
• Feel free to :
  • Remove parsley if you wish, but I would keep basil ;
  • Use only Pecorino or Parmigiano depending on what you have on hand ;
  • Use breadcrumbs instead of panko.

How to serve Meatless Ricotta Polpette

• I do not recommend serving these Polpette with pasta !
  • Polpette in Italy are not eaten with pasta ; and those polpette in particular are fragile and would break while tossing them in pasta.
  • These polpette would be served with Italian bread such as Focaccia, and greens on the side, or salad.

Now come and cook !