Meatballs are one of the most beloved homemade dishes, these tender meat bites are not afraid of trends and have no age, which is why they are appreciated by young and old alike and have always been masters of Sunday menus. Here, we want to suggest an exquisite variant with the recipe for meatballs with pumpkin cream. This is a winter version of meatballs, cooked in a velvety pumpkin cream instead of the more traditional tomato sauce. With its bright orange color and sweet and sour taste, this dish will be a hit on your table.
Ingredients for 15 meatballs
- 1 egg
- 500g ground pork
- 80g Parmigiano Reggiano DOP cheese
- 70g bread crumbs
- 700g pumpkin, cleaned
- 1 white onion
- Salt to taste
- Dried thyme to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil as needed
- Water as needed
Calories per serving: 530
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cost: Medium
Preparation of meatballs with pumpkin cream
To prepare the pumpkin meatballs, first prepare the meatball mixture: soak the bread crumbs in water until soft. Then, in a bowl, combine the ground pork, grated cheese, dried thyme, soaked and squeezed bread crumbs, egg, and a pinch of salt. Mix everything thoroughly with your hands until you get a compact and homogeneous mixture. Form meatballs about 4 cm in diameter with this mixture, and refrigerate them.
Next, peel and dice the pumpkin. Finely chop the onion and sauté in a pan with some oil until translucent. Add the pumpkin, a little water, and some sage leaves. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10 minutes until the pumpkin is soft. Put the mixture in a blender or food processor and puree until you obtain a smooth cream.
Return the cream to the pan and add the meatballs. Cook for another 25 minutes, turning the meatballs occasionally and adding more water if the sauce gets too dry. Serve hot.
Storage
Store the cooked pumpkin meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can also freeze the meatballs after cooking if you used fresh ingredients.
Tips
You can vary or enrich the meatball mixture with your favorite ingredients, such as provolone cheese, salami, beef, pecorino cheese, or a crushed garlic clove!