Mac 'n' Cheese Balls

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 125 g macaroni
• 2 tsp salt
• 1,800 ml water
• 70 g Cheddar cheese, grated
• 50 g mozzarella, grated
• 20 g Parmesan, grated
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 15 basil leaves
• ½ bunch oregano
• ¼ tsp white pepper, ground
• 3 tsp seasoning mix (macaroni seasoning)
• 300 ml tomatoes, pureed
• 1 tsp vegetable broth, instant
• 20 g diced ham
• ½ m.-sized onion(s)
• frying oil
• 1 egg(s)
• 2 tbsp flour
• 4 tbsp breadcrumbs

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

A delight with or without meat

First, cook the macaroni in 1500 ml of water with 1.5 teaspoons of salt (it’s okay if it’s a bit soft), then drain. While the pasta is cooking, finely chop half an onion and fry it in a pan with the diced ham, then chop the parsley. Now place the cooked pasta in a bowl and puree it with an immersion blender (it should be like a thick porridge). Then add the onions, ham, cheddar, 20 g mozzarella, 10 g Parmesan, 0.5 bunch of parsley, 0.5 teaspoon salt, 0.25 teaspoon pepper, and 3 teaspoons macaroni seasoning. Knead everything well into a dough. Divide the dough as evenly as possible into 16 portions and shape them into small balls (about the size of ping-pong balls). The balls shouldn’t have any cracks! I use an adjustable rolling pin (10 mm) to roll out the dough flat and then use a glass (approx. 60 mm diameter) to cut out portions, which I then shape into balls. Prepare three bowls. In the first bowl, add 2 tablespoons of flour, in the second a beaten egg, and in the third the breadcrumbs. Now, one after the other, roll the dough balls first in the flour, then in the egg, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in the deep fryer to 160°C and add the balls. When they turn light golden yellow, remove from the oil and set aside. Now heat the deep fryer to 180°C. Then add the balls back in and fry until golden brown. While the deep fryer is heating, heat the passata with the vegetable stock powder. Chop the oregano and basil (save some basil for decoration if desired). Add the oregano, basil, and the remaining parsley along with the remaining mozzarella to the sauce and melt the cheese. The sauce should be nice and thick and creamy. Divide the sauce among the plates, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, and place the fried meatballs on top. Garnish with basil, if desired. A fresh salad goes well with this dish. Tip: If you prefer a meatless dish, you can simply omit the ham. Then add a little sunflower oil while frying the onion.