Meatballs with Pesto, Pickled Yellow Tomatoes and Basil

May 8, 2021
Posted by: EOS
Category: Meat specialities

Ingredients for 1 serving:

100 г Grated parmigiano "Zanetti"
30 г Elle & Vire oil
2 boxes Maize "Cirio"
110 g Caim
110 g Corn flour
115 g Yellow tomatoes

10 g Garlic
60 g Arugula
1 pcs Onion
50 g Basil
110 g Galette
70 g Walnuts

Prepare the ingredients:

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling. Clean the basil stems. Cut the tomatoes in half place in a bowl and mix with half of the basil, chopping it coarsely. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to mix, season with salt and pepper to taste. Peel 3 of the garlic cloves and crush them with the flat side of a knife. Crush the walnuts finely. Peel the onion and chop finely. Prepare the corn.

Make the pesto

Add the arugula and the rest of the basil to the pot of boiling water. Cook for 1 minute. Drain well and rinse with cool water. Drain again very well. Chop very finely and then in a bowl mix with the crushed garlic, walnuts and half of the Parmesan. Slowly mix, adding the olive oil so that you get a paste, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Boil the water for the polenta and prepare the aromatics:

Put 6 cups of water and a pinch of salt in a saucepan to boil. At the same time, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Place the onion and garlic inside, season with salt and pepper, leave for 2 - 4 minutes or until the onion is soft. Transfer to a large bowl and wipe out the pan.

Cooking the polenta:

Fold in the cornmeal and corn, stirring constantly until all the lumps are broken up. Season with salt or pepper. Reduce heat to lower. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10-12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the butter, stirring well again to blend, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Shape and prepare the meatballs:

While the polenta is cooking, mix the mince, breadcrumbs and aromatics in a bowl, season with salt and pepper. Stir until well mixed. Using your hands, form the mixture into 24 small meatballs. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan where the aromatics are prepared and when hot enough, place the meatballs. Cook for 4-6 minutes turning occasionally on all sides until browned. Then cover the pan with aluminum foil and leave on the heat for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Serving the dish:

In the bowl with the pesto sauce, add the prepared meatballs and 2 tablespoons of water. Toss well to coat the meatballs with the pesto sauce. Divide the cooked polenta among four plates. Top with 6 of the meatballs and the marinated tomatoes. Garnish with the remaining parmesan cheese.

Enjoy! 👩🍳