Pallotte Cace e Ove (Meatless Meatballs)

The easy recipe for a traditional Abruzzese appetizer, given to us by a woman who has lead a life of courage. Eggs, cheese and bread. Patrizia Corradetti put her faith in these three basic ingredients, readily available to shepherds. In fact, she was the first to include pallotte cace e ova (“cheese and egg balls”) on her menu, among the appetizers, as it had always been considered a poor dish reserved for the home. In Abruzzo, these recipes are found almost everywhere as part of the region’s pastoral tradition, especially in mountainous areas such as the Maiella or Gran Sasso, where sheep are raised. But in actuality, a lot of the recipe comes from the countryside as well, calling for tomatoes and other ingredients that can’t grow at high altitudes. In short, it’s a dish that tells the varied story of Abruzzo’s landscape. The secret? The pecorino must be good, like that of young producer Daniele di Giuseppe dell’Arca, who works only with sheep’s milk. “Even if I wanted to take this dish off the menu, as I’ve tried doing to replace with something else, I can’t because everyone always asks me about the pallotte and nothing has the same success.”