Pork Meatballs in Pumpkin Cream

Pork meatballs in pumpkin cream are a rich and comforting autumn dish. Here’s how to prepare them:

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 500 g ground pork
• 1 egg
• 50 g breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 garlic clove
• A few fresh sage leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil for frying

For the pumpkin cream:

• 400 g cleaned pumpkin
• 1 medium potato
• 1 white onion
• 500 ml vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Nutmeg (optional)
• Cooking cream to finish (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by preparing the meatballs. In a bowl, mix the ground pork with the egg, the breadcrumbs soaked in milk, the finely chopped garlic, the chopped sage leaves, salt and pepper. Work the mixture well and, once homogeneous, form meatballs the size of a walnut.

2. In a pan, heat the olive oil and fry the meatballs until golden brown on all sides. Once ready, set them aside on paper towels.

3. For the pumpkin cream, sauté the chopped onion in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil until translucent. Add the pumpkin and potato cut into cubes, cover with the vegetable broth and cook until the vegetables are soft.

4. When the pumpkin and potato are cooked, blend everything with an immersion blender until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper; if you like, add a pinch of nutmeg. If the cream is too thick, add a little broth until you reach the desired consistency.

5. Add the meatballs to the pumpkin cream and let them absorb the flavors for a few minutes.

6. Serve the meatballs hot, with a drizzle of cooking cream if desired for an extra touch of creaminess.

Trivia

Pumpkin is a very versatile ingredient in cooking, and paired with pork it creates a very pleasant sweet-salty contrast. In Italy, especially in the north, it is common to use pumpkin in risottos and tortelli, but with this recipe you can try an original pairing that warms up autumn evenings.