Looks & tastes like a meatball, except it's not! With just one bite of this cacio e uova meatless recipe, you'll quickly become a fan of "cucina povera".
1tablespoonflour to lightly coat the egg and cheese balls
1tablespoonolive oil to lightly fry the egg and cheese balls
The tomato sauce:
1tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
1mediumoniondiced finely
1mediumrib of celerydiced finely
1carrotdiced finely
1bay leaf
1Literpassata (tomato puree)4 cups
¼teaspoonsugar
4-6basil leaves
black pepper to taste
extra cheese and basil for garnish
Instructions
In a large wide bowl, soak the bread with the milk. Set aside a few minutes for the milk to be absorbed. (There should not be any extra moisture left behind when you squeeze this mixture together).
In a separate, medium sized bowl, beat the eggs.
Add the cheese, garlic and parsley.
Combine with the soaked breadcrumbs and mix together thoroughly.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour for the flavors to blend.
The tomato sauce:
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
Add the onions and saute for 1-2 minutes.
Add the celery and carrots and saute the whole mixture for another 8-10 minutes.
Add the bay leaf, tomato puree and sugar. Simmer for approximately 45 minutes. Add a little water if sauce becomes too thick.
Reduce heat to low and add basil leaves.
The assembly:
Lightly coat all the cheese and egg balls with 1 tablespoon of flour. Set aside.
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Add the cheese and egg balls and stir fry until lightly golden.
Remove and add to simmering sauce. Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.
Serve immediately with extra grated cheese and basil for garnish.
Notes
I will roughly cut the bread in ½ -¾ inch cubes. There is an idle time of approximately 45 minutes. Great as an appetizer or a main (with pasta).Each serving is one 1-inch ball. Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used.