Sausage & Ricotta Balls with Creamy Tomato Beans

These sausage and ricotta balls are rich, soft and full of flavour, baked over creamy tomato beans until golden and bubbling. Using our award-winning The Leaning Tower sausages gives the whole dish a proper butcher-made base, with pork, chilli, fennel and basil doing the heavy lifting.

It is an easy dinner that feels comforting without being heavy. Serve it with crusty bread and let the sauce do the rest.

Ingredients

For the sausage and ricotta balls

• 4 The Leaning Tower sausages, skins removed
• 100 g ricotta
• ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
• 20 g parmesan, finely grated
• Cracked pepper

For the creamy tomato beans

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 400 g tin crushed tomatoes
• 2 x 400 g tins butter beans, drained and rinsed
• ⅓ cup cream
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh basil, to serve
• Extra parmesan, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Squeeze the sausage meat from the casings into a bowl with ricotta, breadcrumbs, parmesan and cracked pepper. Mix well, then roll into 12 balls.
3. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the garlic for 1 minute, then add the tomato puree and stir for another minute.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, 100 ml water and butter beans. Simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Remove the sauce from the heat, stir through the cream, then season with salt and pepper.
6. Pour the creamy tomato beans into a shallow baking dish. Nestle the sausage and ricotta balls on top.
7. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the sausage balls are cooked through and lightly golden.
8. Finish with torn basil and extra parmesan. Serve with crusty bread.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

Start with proper butcher-made sausages

This recipe uses our The Leaning Tower sausages, made with pork, craft ale, chilli, fennel and basil. They bring plenty of flavour to the meatballs without needing a long list of extras.

Pick them up in store at The Lucky Pig in Bentleigh, or order online for click and collect or local delivery.

Find The Lucky Pig in Bentleigh

The Lucky Pig
452 Centre Road, Bentleigh VIC 3204

Open The Lucky Pig on Google Maps