Meatballs with ricotta and pine nuts in red wine tomato sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 180 ml olive oil
• 1 onion(s), finely chopped
• 100 g pine nuts, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
• ½ bunch parsley, flat, coarsely chopped
• 8 basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 ½ tsp fennel seeds
• 50 g breadcrumbs, from old rolls
• 250 g ricotta
• 1 lemon(s), grated peel
• 1 egg(s)
• 500 g minced pork
• Salt
• pepper
• 800 g tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped
• 100 ml wine, red, dry
• Salt
• pepper
• 1 chili pepper(s), red, dry, chopped

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

Polpette

Heat 90 ml of oil in a pan and fry the onion until soft and brown the pine nuts. Then add the garlic and fry for another 2 minutes. Let cool. Mix the herbs, spices, breadcrumbs, ricotta with the egg, minced meat, onion, and pine nuts well. Chill the mixture for at least 30 minutes. Roll into small balls (about 20) and flatten them. Heat the remaining oil and fry the balls in batches until nicely browned, turning only once and being careful. Simmer the tomatoes with the red wine and pepper for about 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Add the balls and heat for another 10 minutes. This dish tastes great reheated, so it’s great prepared the day before. Serve with pasta or fresh bread.