Ricotta Polpette

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Tender vegetarian polpette made with ricotta and grated Parmesan will please any crowd.

Ricotta Polpette
Photo:

Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Caleb Clark

Active Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 45 mins
Servings:
4 servings

These polpette are a great vegetarian dinner; the recipe can be doubled for a crowd. 

Frequently asked questions

What is ricotta cheese?

Ricotta is a soft whey cheese, most often made from cow’s milk used in lasagna, dips, cheesecakes and other baking. It is a byproduct of the cheese-making process. When you make cheese, you separate the curds and whey and make cheese from the curds. Ricotta was traditionally made in Italy from the whey but is now often made from whole milk. You can buy ricotta or, if you'd prefer, make it at home.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

When grating the cheese for these polpette, we prefer to use a food processor instead of a box grater. You’ll end up with large pieces of cheese that melt into these little pockets of salty cheese in the polpette dough.

After forming the polpette, be sure to let them rest in the refrigerator for an hour. This allows the breadcrumbs to fully hydrate so the polpette hold their shape as they cook. The sauce is slightly spicy and otherwise simply seasoned; gussy it up with more garlic and spices if you want it to be more complex.

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Ingredients

Ricotta Polpette

  • 2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese (from 2 [15-ounce] containers), drained

  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup), plus more for serving

  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon grated garlic (from 2 medium garlic cloves)

  • 1 1/4 cups dry breadcrumbs, plus more as needed

Tomato Sauce

  • 4 medium garlic cloves

  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling 

  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano plum tomatoes, crushed by hand

  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, plus small leaves for garnish

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Prepare the Ricotta Polpette

  1.  If ricotta is watery, spoon onto a few layers of paper towels and spread to an even layer; place more paper towels on top. Gently press down on ricotta to remove excess moisture. Remove and discard top layer of paper towels. Lift paper towel by the sides and dump ricotta into a large bowl, using paper towel to shake leftover pieces of ricotta into bowl. Stir in eggs, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic until thoroughly blended and smooth. Stir in breadcrumbs until combined. (Depending on ricotta, mixture may be loose but should be able to shape into balls that hold together. If not, add additional breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup at a time, as needed. )

  2. Shape mixture into 24 balls (about 2 tablespoons each), and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate, uncovered, 1 hour.

While polpette chill, prepare the Tomato Sauce

  1. Place garlic, oil, and crushed red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium-low. Once garlic starts to sizzle, reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat, and mash garlic cloves using a fork. Transfer garlic mixture to a large Dutch oven, and stir in tomatoes, basil, water, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 12 to 15 minutes, reducing heat to low as needed to prevent boiling.

  2. Stir the sauce and immediately add the polpette to the simmering sauce. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook, gently shaking the Dutch oven occasionally, until the polpette is tender and cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

  3. Using a serving spoon, divide polpette and sauce evenly among 4 shallow bowls. Drizzle with additional oil, and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Garnish with small basil leaves.

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