Kesong Puti Stuffed Meatball Pasta

For this dish, I'm featuring Kesong Puti (soft white cheese made from unskimmed buffalo's milk), which for me, is the top cheese of the Philippines.

I think cheese is best when you can get it fresh or aged (processed/artificial is last option). For fresh, Kesong Puti wins as it is so versatile that it can be used for gourmet meals and desserts. I love to eat it on top of a crusty bread, drizzled with honey or fruit jam. As for for aged sharp cheese, Queso de Bola is the winner (better than parmesan - shaved to top on green salads and grated to top on pasta).

Hope this dish inspires you to use our local cheese w/c honestly is at par with the best cheeses of the world.

Here's how-to:

meatball - combine ground beef, bread crumbs (panko), salt & pepper, crushed garlic and olive oil. I use olive oil to bind any meat (like burger, kebab and meatballs) vs egg since I find egg leaves... well, an egg-y taste.

Add chopped parsley.

form a flat circle and place a cube of kesong puti in the center

Ball it up

Meatball assembly line

Create a golden brown crust by toasting the meatballs on a pan drizzled with olive oil. You need only to create a crust as the meatballs will continue to cook in the sauce later.

Dunk the meatballs in your simmering sauce (I just buy tomato sauce from a can and use it as a base, augment the flavor and add richness by adding sauted onions and garlic, chopped ripe tomatoes, tomato paste, a little water and dried and fresh herbs - Italian mix by mccormick, basil and oregano. Cut the acidity by adding a teaspoon of sugar and season with salt & pepper.

Allow to simmer until meatballs are cooked through.

I am using fetuccine for the pasta but you can use any pasta you like.

Plate up. Add a sprig of basil to pretty it up and sprinkle with parmesan cheese (no queso de bola this time of the year but use that - shaved or grated, when you readily have it in your kitchen).