Polpette are Italian-style meatballs traditionally served with salad. Weve used salmon for the polpette and served them with pasta for a twist.
- To make polpette, process fish in a food processor almost to a paste. Transfer to a bowl and combine with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons coriander, zest and juice, egg and ricotta. Using damp hands, roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls. Makes 20.
- Heat 60ml (1/4 cup) oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add fennel and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add tomatoes and cook for a further 3 minutes or until tomatoes soften.
- Cook pasta in a saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a separate large frying pan over medium heat. Add polpette and cook, turning, for 5 minutes or until lightly browned and slightly pink in the centre.
- Return pan with vegetable mixture to medium heat, add pasta and olives, and cook, tossing, for 5 minutes or until warmed through. Season with pepper.
- Divide pasta mixture among bowls, top with salmon polpette and scatter with remaining coriander and the reserved fennel fronds to serve. Fresh ricotta, available from the deli section of supermarkets, is drier and firmer, and tastes creamier than ricotta packaged in tubs. Rigate, meaning ‘striped’ in Italian, refers to the ridged surface of the pasta, which allows the sauce to coat more easily. We used the Barilla brand from supermarkets.
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