FIRST STEPS

1. Chop the Tuscan bread, pour it into a bowl, and soak it with milk until softened.
2. Rinse the fresh spinach thoroughly, and boil or steam it for 5 minutes.
3. Rinse the spinach with cold water, squeeze it, and mince it.
4. Store the spinach in a bowl.

STIR-FRY SPINACH

1. Peel and chop the shallots.
2. Sauté the shallots with 2 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil until soft and translucent.
3. Add the minced spinach and stir-fry for a few minutes until juicy but not watery.

TUSCAN MEATBALL MIXTURE

1. Squeeze the bread and pour it into a bowl with the stir-fried spinach.
2. Add the grated Tuscan Pecorino, ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, ground meat, 1 pinch of nutmeg, and black pepper.
3. Salt to taste and knead the mixture until well combined.
4. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day.

TOMATOES SAUCE

1. Peel and crush the garlic.
2. Pour the garlic into a saucepan with 2 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil.
3. Sauté the garlic over medium heat until pale golden, then add the tomato pulp.
4. Cook gently for 30 minutes, and salt to taste.
5. SHAPING AND FRYING “POLPETTE”
6. Shape the meat mixture into meatballs (1-3 oz).
7. Flour the meatballs and shake gently to remove excess flour.
8. Pour vegetable oil into a deep saucepan and heat to 340°F (170°C).
9. Deep-fry the meatballs, two or three at a time, for a couple of minutes until pale golden.
10. Place the fried meatballs on kitchen towels to drain the oil.

SPINACH MEATBALLS INTO THE SAUCE

1. Pour the tomato sauce into a pan with 10 hand-broken basil leaves.
2. Gently place the meatballs into the sauce and cook over a gentle flame for 1 hour, flipping every 15 minutes.
3. Rest for 20 minutes before serving, or serve warm or at room temperature.