Circle B Kitchen
Recipe courtesy David Rocco
These little "meatballs" just explode with flavor. They'd be perfect for a party appetizer if you chopped the zucchini a little smaller and then formed them into little bite-size morsels. If you want a more "sauce-y tomato condiment, you can pulse the tomatoes a couple of times in the food processor to create more of a sauce. I tried that and it was just wonderful. I also substituted asiago cheese for the scamorza and it was fantastic, and substituted panko breadcrumbs for the coating and that made them even crispier.
Serves 6
Meatballs
3 medium zucchini, chopped
1 cup/250 ml smoked scamorza, cubed (I used grated Asiago)
1 cup/250 ml Pecorino cheese (I used a combination of grated pecorino and parmesan)
Small bunch fresh mint leaves, finely chopped (about 2-3 tablespoons)
2 eggs
1 cup/250 ml bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups/375 ml extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
2 cups panko breadcrumbs for coating
Tomato Salad
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 fresh basil leaves, torn
Salt
1/4 cup/50 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
For the meatballs:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the chopped zucchini, bring back to a boil and cook for 4 minutes. Drain the excess water from the zucchini. Transfer the zucchini to a sheet pan and allow to cool. Squeeze out the excess water from the boiled zucchini.
In a mixing bowl, add the zucchini, scamorza cheese, Pecorino cheese, fresh mint leaves, eggs, and bread crumbs. Mix well until the ingredients are evenly distributed. With your hands, shape the meatballs into the size of golf balls. Coat the meatballs in panko bread crumbs.
Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan. Gently place the meatballs into the hot oil and let fry until golden and crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with an absorbent paper towel to drain the excess oil. Serve with the tomato salad.
To make the tomato salad: Add the cherry tomatoes, basil, and salt to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and mix together.