Italian Sausage and Ricotta Meatballs in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

OK, now that I have your attention with that beautiful recipe title, I am sure you want to know what it is. Well, it is meatballs in a roasted red pepper sauce. Doesn’t that sound delicious? I thought so, that’s why I made it. I used mild Italian sausage, whole milk ricotta, and panko crumbs for the meatballs to create a mild flavor that will not compete with the robust sauce. Mentioning the sauce, it is simply flavored so the roasted red peppers shine. It seems that this dish would be one dimensional, but the beauty is in the sum of all the parts. The sausage renders its juices into the sauce, the sauce gains a silky mouth feel with that lovely pork flavor melded with the red pepper. The ricotta adds just a slight tanginess to the mildly seasoned sausage and meshes wonderfully with the piquant sauce. This dish really satisfied my desire for a different pasta dish so give it a try and let it work it’s magic on you!

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Polpette con Salsa di Peperoni Arrostiti

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 1 hour 15 mins

Total time: 1 hour 35 mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

Meatballs

8 oz mild or hot Italian sausage
1 tbsp shallot, diced
1 small clove garlic, minced (approximately ½ tsp)
2 oz ricotta cheese
2 tbsp panko crumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp butter

Sauce

12 oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained
2 tbsp shallots, diced
1 small clove garlic, minced (approximately ½ tsp)
½ tsp butter
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp red pepper flakes
½ cup chicken broth, divided

Instructions

Prepare the meatball mixture

In a small pan over Medium heat, melt the butter.
Add the shallot and garlic, cooking it down until slightly browned, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the shallots and garlic to a medium bowl to cool.
When cool, add the ricotta, sausage, panko crumbs, and egg.
Mix by hand and set aside to firm up.

While the meatball mixture rests, make the sauce.

In the small pan used previously, melt the butter over Medium heat.
Add the shallot and garlic, cooking until slightly browned, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste and 1 portion of chicken broth, stirring to combine.
Cook the mixture until thickened and colored a deep red, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside.
In a food processor, combine the tomato/shallot/garlic mixture with the drained roasted red peppers.
Pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides.
Add the sauce mixture to a medium saute pan over Medium-Low heat.
Rinse the food processor bowl with the remaining chicken broth (to get all that goodness!) and add to the sauce, stirring to combine.

Make the meatballs

While the sauce slowly comes up to temperature, wet your hands and make small meatballs, placing them in the sauce. The meatballs should be golf ball sized or smaller.
Once all the meatballs are in the sauce, cover and allow them to cook in the sauce at a low simmer, approximately 1 hour, gently turning them every 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve over spaghetti garnished with chopped parsley and cheese.

Meatball Ingredients

Sauce Ingredients

Prepare the meatball mixture

In a small pan over Medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and garlic, cooking it down until slightly browned, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove the shallots and garlic to a medium bowl to cool. When cool, add the ricotta, sausage, panko crumbs, and egg.

Mix by hand and set aside to firm up.

While the meatball mixture rests, make the sauce

In the small pan used previously, melt the butter over Medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, cooking until slightly browned, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.

Add tomato paste and 1 portion of chicken broth, stirring to combine.

Cook the mixture until thickened and colored a deep red, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the tomato/shallot/garlic mixture with the drained roasted red peppers.

Pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides. Add the sauce mixture to a medium saute pan over Medium-Low heat. Rinse the food processor bowl with the remaining chicken broth (to get all that goodness!) and add to the sauce, stirring to combine.

Make and cook the meatballs

While the sauce slowly comes up to temperature, wet your hands and make small meatballs, placing them in the sauce. The meatballs should be golf ball sized or smaller.

Once all the meatballs are in the sauce, cover and allow them to cook in the sauce at a low simmer, approximately 1 hour, gently turning them every 15 to 20 minutes.