I was given this recipe in Florence while visiting a college friend of Jesse’s, on our way through Tuscany.

     It was a rainy night and we paced his small apartment debating dinner plans. Our host received a call from his girlfriend, loudly insisting the Americans come join the party at a little cabin in the countryside, “for a real Italian meal!” They picked us up on the way and with the six of us crammed into a little Fiat (il Pandino!), we jolted through the impossibly narrow, unbelievably steep outskirts of the city. Around the fireplace they passed around hurried plates of pasta and sauce, a thrown-together meal to feed the crowd. Hardly in the countryside and hardly the real Italian meal we were expecting.
     But there we met Lorenzo, who became a friend quickly and deeply. In our time with him, Lorenzo redeemed himself many times over with his wonderful family-style cooking; with roasted mushroom caps foraged from the nearby woods and stuffed with garlic, herbs and bread crumbs, with first-pressed olive oil from his ongoing harvest, as well as with this recipe for Polpette Di Ricotta, a bright and fresh Calabrian dish… the perfect dish for a small and unexpected party.

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     Lorenzo uses the Italian term Quanto Basto, meaning as much as you need, when referring to the bread crumbs. I’m estimating about a cup of crumbs. If I’m feeling a bit reckless I might try to dredge the balls in eggs, then flour, then breadcrumbs, before frying in high-heat oil. I liked it served alone, but I’m sure it could make a nice meatball alternative over pasta.