Wheat Meatballs, cooked in an air fryer, are delicious bites of precooked wheat, the same used for Neapolitan pastiera. The recipe was born as a recovery dish, from the leftover wheat of the pastiera. I had already prepared the savory version several times, but I wanted something different, less demanding and also quick. A delicious discovery! I was immediately captivated by their citrus aroma, in contrast with the strong taste of pecorino, pistachios, and the smoked scamorza melting inside…a mix of goodness!
To prepare Wheat Meatballs, there’s no need to cook the wheat in milk, as you do for pastiera, but the ingredients are mixed in a bowl: pecorino, ground pistachios, grated lemon zest, and cubes of smoked scamorza in the center, which will melt during cooking. They are dipped in egg and breadcrumbs for a crunchy but light shell thanks to cooking in the air fryer.
You can prepare them for Easter as an appetizer, they are perfect as finger food!
Now let’s see how to prepare them.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 9 meatballs
- Cooking methods: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter, All Seasons
Ingredients
- 250 g wheat for pastiera (precooked)
- 2 tablespoons Sardinian pecorino (or Romano)
- 40 g pistachios (ground into powder)
- Half lemon (organic zest grated)
- 9 cubes smoked scamorza
- to taste salt and pepper
- 1 egg (for breading)
- to taste breadcrumbs (for breading)
- A few sprays oil
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Tools
- 3 Bowls
- 1 Baking tray
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Fork
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Steps
Start by grinding the pistachios in a mixer
Take a bowl, pour the wheat and fluff it with a fork
Add the rest of the ingredients: pecorino, ground pistachio, grated lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Mix the ingredients well.
Moisten your hands, take a portion of the mixture, and place a cube of scamorza in the center.
Close with a bit more mixture and shape the meatballs into the classic round shape.
In another bowl, lightly beat the egg and immerse the meatballs.
Transfer them to the bowl with breadcrumbs and cover them well.
Place them on a baking tray and spray a little oil. Cook at 392°F for 8 minutes or until the surface is golden.
Being very soft and delicate, in this case, I advise against placing them directly on the grill.
Eat them warm and taste the goodness 😍😍
They are fabulous!!
