Make the Polpettini
- Combine the shrimp, panko, egg, cream, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a food processor and puree until smooth. (To test for seasoning, roll a small amount into a ball and poach in barely simmering water. Let cool, taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.)
- To roll the meatballs, wet your hands slightly and roll the mixture into balls about the size of a large marble. Set the meatballs down on a baking sheet (you will have 30 to 40), cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the Sauce
- Heat ¼ cup of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, sage, and rosemary and cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, 2 cups water, and a little salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- Cook for about 5 minutes and then transfer about half the beans to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth, adding a little bit of water if very thick. Return the pureed beans to the pot with the whole beans.
Assemble the dish
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp polpettini to the pot of beans and simmer gently over medium heat until the meatballs are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the beans, along with the remaining ¼ cup olive oil, and toss gently. If the sauce looks dry, add a little of the reserved pasta water to it. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Divide among six bowls. Top with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a pinch of fleur de sel, and a sprinkling of sage for color, if you like.
Make Ahead: The meatballs can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered in plastic wrap. You can also freeze them in an airtight container for up to a month. The beans can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated, covered; reheat them gently, and add water to them if they look very dry.
Ingredients:
For the Polpettini
¾ pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Sauce and Pasta
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
½ medium white onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 15-ounce cans white beans, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ batch fresh pasta dough, rolled as directed and cut with a knife into irregular shapes of about 2 inches, or ½ pound dried wide flat noodles, such as pappardelle, broken into 2-inch lengths
Thinly sliced fresh sage leaves for garnish (optional)
Fleur de sel
Nutrition:
Calories: 469, Protein: 25 grams, Fat: 23 grams, Saturated Fat: 4 grams, Carbohydrates: 42 grams, Fiber: 7 grams, Sodium: 174 milligrams
Author:
Recipe courtesy of Barbara Lynch, Stir: Mixing it up in the Italian Tradition, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009.