Pallotte cacio e ova (cheese and egg balls) in tomato sauce with pasta.
Soft, plump cheesy bread balls in a tasty tomato sauce, pallotte cacio e ova are made with a mixture of stale bread, eggs and cheese, then fried and then sautéed in tomato sauce. Serve with or without pasta for an exceptionally flavorful low budget meal .
Servings: 4
Calories: 731kcal
Equipment
- 1 large bowl to make cheese and egg ball dough
- 1 frying pan to fry pallotte
- 1 deep skillet to cook sauce and mix in spaghetti and pallotte
- 1 large pot to cook spaghetti
Ingredients
For the pallotte cacio e ova (cheese and egg balls)
- 5.5 ounces grated Parmigiano and Pecorino you can use both cheeses or just one type.
- 3.5 ounces breadcrumbs homemade or ready-made
- 2-3 eggs
- 1 handful fresh parsley chopped
- 5 floz fresh milk to soak stale bread, ready-made breadcrumbs only need 2 tablespoons
- salt to taste
For tomato sauce.
- 14 ounces tomato passata You may need more if not using pasta.
- 2-3 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves add to sauce or on plates when serving.
Other ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti alla chitarra or normal spaghetti
- vegetable or sunflower oil for frying pallotte
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. or normal olive oil.
Instructions
Make the pallotte cacio e ova
- If using stale bread, take off the crusts and discard. Cut the bread into cubes and then soak in a bowl with the milk for about 10 minutes. Next, squeeze out the milk from the bread and place in another bowl. If using ready-made breadcrumbs just mix them with a dash of milk before adding the other ingredients.
- Add the grated cheese, eggs and chopped parsley to the breadcrumbs and mix with your hands or a fork until everything is incorporated together into a rough dough.
- Use your hands to slightly knead a tablespoon of dough to soften it further and then roll the dough into a small ball, around the size of a walnut. Place the ready balls on a flour dusted tray or plate and continue until you have used all the mixture. You can make your pallotte bigger if you prefer to serve then without pasta.
- Fry the pallotte in vegetable or sunflower oil until golden brown on each side. Leave to rest in a bowl with kitchen paper to drain the excess oil.
Make the tomato sauce.
- Fry the peeled garlic in a little oil then add the tomato passata. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Remove the garlic before adding the spaghetti and/or pallotte.
Cook the pasta, finish and serve.
- Cook the pasta al dente in a large pot of salted water. Drain when it’s cooked and add it to the tomato sauce. Mix the pasta and sauce together and then add the pallotte. Gently stir everything together over a low heat for a couple of minutes. Serve immediately with fresh basil.
If not using pasta.
- Drop the pallotte in the tomato sauce and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes. Add a little water if the sauce dries up too much. Remove from the heat and serve!
Notes
To make this recipe 100% vegetarian, use a vegetarian parmesan as Italian Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano are made with animal rennet.
To make this recipe gluten free, use a gluten free spaghetti. Many pasta makers produce it. Plus use gluten free breadcrumbs in the cheese ball ingredients. You could also use ground up oats or crushed gluten free crackers instead of breadcrumbs.
Nutrition
Calories: 731kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 871mg | Potassium: 753mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1040IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 560mg | Iron: 5mg