If ever there was a dish that epitomised Italy it's Pallotte - Cacio e Uova – a life-changing creation from Abruzzo. Minimal ingredients—eggs, cheese and bread are masterfully combined to create something truly magical! Introducing dish you've been waiting for...
Using a food processor, blitz the bread until you form medium sized breadcrumbs
Add the eggs, cheese and parsley and, using your hands, bring the mixture together to form a soft dough.
Take small portions of dough and roll into balls (about the size of a ping-pong ball) and arrange on a plate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up a little (this step is optional).
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and then add the pallotte balls. Gently fry for 2 minutes per side. Shake the pan to move the pallotte around to get as much of the surface brown as possible. Remove and drain on paper towels. Don't overcrowd the pan so you may need to do this in batches.
To make the sauce
In a deep sauté pan or saucepan, heat the oil until just hot, then fry the garlic for 30 seconds to flavour the oil. Add the tomato passata and about 1 cup water and bring to a simmer. Gently bubble for 8 minutes (uncovered) to reduce slightly. Add the balls to the sauce and stir gently to coat. Simmer them in the sauce for 15 minutes, uncovered, shaking the pan occasionally to turn. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little water. If it's too thin, turn up the heat to simmer off until thickened. It should have a consistency of double/whipping cream.Remove from the heat and serve hot with a little sauce, sprinkled with a little more grated cheese.
Notes
Serving and suggestions
Serve hot as an appetiser. I like to sprinkle over a little more parsley and a light dusting of pecorino cheese. In one Abruzzese restaurant, the pallotte were garnished with a wonderful grated semi firm goats cheese which just added more cheesy goodness to the mix.
Serve with crusty bread to soak up the delicious leftover sauce.
Serve alongside a simple rocket salad for a light lunch.
Fridge: Palotte will stay fresh for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Freezer: You can freeze pallotte too, just ensure they are fully defrosted before heating gently in a pan or microwave. Add a little water to the sauce before reheating to ensure the sauce doesn't dry out.