This comforting Rigatoni with Polpette in Sugo by the talented Julia Busuttil Nishimura is everything you crave in a winter dish — rich, hearty, and full of flavour. Tender meatballs simmer in a classic tomato sugo, brought to life with the clean, bright finish of Maldon Sea Salt. It’s simple, soulful cooking at its best.
- Make the polpette by placing the bread in a small bowl and pouring over enough milk to just cover the bread. Allow it to soak for 15 minutes then squeeze out the excess milk and crumb in the milk-soaked bread into a large bowl. Add the pork and beef mince, egg, Parmigiano Reggiano and nutmeg. Season well with Maldon sea salt and black pepper. Roll into walnut sized balls and set aside in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by warming the oil in a pan over a low-medium heat. Add the onion, parsley stalks and a good pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion has softened. Pour in the passata, add 400 ml of water and a good pinch of Maldon sea salt. Bring to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and brown the meatballs. Transfer to the sauce and reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 45 minutes – 1 hour or until the sauce is thick and rich and the meatballs are tender and plump. Season to taste. If the sauce thickness too much, add a little more water as it cooks.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of generously salted water until al dente and transfer the pasta to a large bowl, reserving some of the pasta water. Add a few ladlefuls of the sauce into the pasta, adding some pasta water if needed and toss to coat. Add the remaining meatballs and sauce and top with plenty of parmigiano reggiano and serve.
Recipe by Julia Busuttil Nishimura.
