Orecchiette with Meatballs: Recipe from Puglia

Name: Orecchiette with Meatballs: Recipe from Puglia
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4 serving
Ingredients: 400 g orecchiette; 200 g ground veal or beef; 200 g ground pork; 1-2 eggs; 50 g pecorino; 100 g breadcrumbs; 1 glass milk; 1 handful fresh parsley; salt; olive oil; 250 g cherry tomatoes; 320 g tomato passata or polpa; 1 onion; 3-4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; salt; pecorino or ricotta salata; peperoncino flakes (red chilli pepper)

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Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Servings
4
Calories
974 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian

Orecchiette with Meatballs: Recipe from Puglia

Daisy Meyer

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The original Italian recipe for pasta with meatballs. This orecchiette with meatballs is a traditional dish on Sundays and holidays in Southern Italy.

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Ingredients

Servings

400 g orecchiette (14oz) I used orecchiette maritate by Benedetto Cavalieri

For meatballs

200 g ground veal or beef (7oz)
200 g ground pork (7oz)
1-2 eggs 1 large 2 small
50 g pecorino (2oz) grated
100 g breadcrumbs (4oz) soaked in a little milk
1 glass milk
1 handful fresh parsley chopped
salt to taste
olive oil as required

For tomato sauce

250 g cherry tomatoes (9oz) or datterini (cut in halves)
320 g tomato passata or polpa (11oz) I used polpa by Mutti
1 onion peeled and finely chopped
3-4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
salt for pasta and to taste
pecorino or ricotta salata grated (as required)
peperoncino flakes (red chilli pepper) optional

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Instructions

Peel and finely chop the onion. Wash and half the cherry tomatoes. Wash and chop the parsley. Soak the breadcrumbs in a little milk.
Brown the peeled and chopped onion in a little olive oil until it softens, add the chopped small tomatoes. Once the tomatoes also start to soften add the tomato passata or polpa and salt, cook for about 20 minutes. Add pepper to taste.
While the sauce is simmering make the meatballs. Put the ground meat, the breadcrumbs soaked in milk, the pecorino cheese, the chopped parsley and a little salt in a bowl and mix and knead together well. Add the eggs and milk and mix and knead everything together well.
Make the meat mixture into very small meatballs. You can use a small spoon to measure out the quantity of meat for each meatball or roll a generous handful of the meat mixture into a sausage shape and cut of the required amount and roll between your hands. Once the meatballs are ready, brown them in hot oil and drain them on kitchen paper to remove the excess oil.
Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for 10-15 minutes over a medium heat. Meanwhile, put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Once it boils, add salt and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. When the pasta is ready, drain it and add to the sauce. Mix everything together well and serve sprinkled with more pecorino or ricotta salata and some peperocino flakes if required.

Notes

You can make the meatballs and sauce in advance and keep in the fridge until ready to serve (2-3 days) or freeze and defrost before reheating. You can also prpare the whole dish in advance and reheat in a hot oven with some grated parmigiano sprinkled on top!
If you don't have orecchiette, other short pasta would work well instead, particularly cavatelli, casarecce or penne.

Nutrition Information

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Calories 974kcal (49%) Carbohydrates 108g (36%) Protein 43g (86%) Fat 41g (63%) Saturated Fat 13g (65%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 19g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 133mg (44%) Sodium 470mg (20%) Potassium 1198mg (34%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 14g (28%) Vitamin A 1009IU (20%) Vitamin C 26mg (29%) Calcium 324mg (32%) Iron 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 974 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	974kcal	49%
Carbohydrates	108g	36%
Protein	43g	86%
Fat	41g	63%
Saturated Fat	13g	65%
Polyunsaturated Fat	4g	24%
Monounsaturated Fat	19g	95%
Trans Fat	1g	50%
Cholesterol	133mg	44%
Sodium	470mg	20%
Potassium	1198mg	25%
Fiber	7g	28%
Sugar	14g	28%
Vitamin A	1009IU	20%
Vitamin C	26mg	29%
Calcium	324mg	32%
Iron	6mg	33%