ARDO Restaurant‘s Roberto Marotta’s  Polpette di Cavolfiore is an easy and tasty vegetarian take on the polpette or Italian meatball.

Polpette di Cavolfiore Cicchetti

INGREDIENTS

1 head cauliflower

4 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold or similar)

2 eggs

1 cup ragusano or parmigiano reggiano, grated

1 tbsp unsalted capers

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel potatoes and cut in half. Clean and chop cauliflower in large florets. In separate pots of boiling salted water, boil cauliflower and potatoes until fork tender. Drain, and place into large mixing bowl.

Preheat oven to 350F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, Mash cauliflower and potatoes together until fluffy. Add capers, cheese, and eggs, and mix until well-combined. Roll mixture into half-palm sized balls and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until crispy and golden. Serve with your favourite sauce for dipping.

ABOUT THE CHEF

After working at renowned Toronto restaurants such as Terroni, Maialino Enoteca (now closed), and Nodo, Roberto opened ARDO Restaurant in 2016. The new restaurant focuses on the regional flavours of Sicilian cuisine, an homage to Roberto’s culinary heritage—raised in Milazzo, a port town on the northeast coast of Sicily, Roberto grew up seeing his mother prepare fresh food from the sea and land. The restaurant is named for Roberto and his wife Jacqueline’s son, Leonardo.

Inspired by the Venetian tradition of cicchetti—small dishes paired with wine—this recipe is published courtesy of Modello Canada, a seventh generation, family-owned Venetian wine company. For additional recipes, tips on living like a Venetian, and more, visit ModelloCanada.com.