Meatballs stuffed with ricotta cheese

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

• 230 g of cheese ricotta
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
• 230 g of ground beef
• 230 g of ground veal
• 230 g of minced pork
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 slices white bread, crumbled
• 1 large egg
• Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes, plus extra for sprinkling
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• 8 cups tomato sauce
• Cooked bucatini pasta or spaghetti as a side dish, optional

For frying:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, finely diced
• 1.5 tbsp fennel seeds, dried and ground
• Fennel pollen, for sprinkling
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

1. Prepare the meatball filling: Place the ricotta cheese in cheesecloth and hang it in the refrigerator overnight. In a separate bowl, mash the ricotta with a spoon, season with salt, and taste. Fill a pastry bag with the ricotta.
2. Prepare the onion mixture: Pour olive oil into a hot frying pan, add fennel, onion, and garlic, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Prepare the meat mixture: Combine ground beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add Pecorino Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese, milk-soaked white bread, onion mixture, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, egg, and parsley. Knead, season with salt and pepper.
4. Divide the resulting minced meat into 24 portions, shape each into a 1 cm thick circle, squeeze 1 teaspoon of ricotta into the center from a pastry bag, and form into balls.
5. Fry the cheese-filled meatballs in canola oil over medium heat until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Bring the tomato sauce to a boil, add the meatballs, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes; let rest.
6. Divide the meatballs among portions and drizzle with the sauce. Serve with bucatini pasta drizzled with olive oil. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and fennel pollen, if desired.