Pork Meatballs in Pumpkin Cream

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

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

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

For the pumpkin cream:

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

Preparation

1. Start by preparing the meatballs. In a bowl, mix the minced meat with the egg, breadcrumbs soaked in milk, finely chopped garlic, 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 they are well browned 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 it becomes transparent. Add the diced pumpkin and potato, cover with vegetable broth, and cook until the vegetables are soft.

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

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

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

Curiosity

Pumpkin is a very versatile ingredient in the kitchen, 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 experiment with an original combination that warms up the autumn evenings.