For the mini meatballs knead well together the meat with the egg and the soaked bread until smooth. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and start with the making of the meatballs. They should be between 2 and 4 gr maximum.

Dust the meatballs with flour and quickly roast them with a tsp of oil and a knob of butter. Once golden and crispy in about 2 minutes let them cool aside.

Gently fry the chopped onion left in a small casserole with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt for about 10-15 minutes on low heat, until well golden and caramelized. Keep to one side.

In a large casserole, start to roast the rice on a low heat with a pinch of salt, without adding oil or fat. In this way, the heat reaches the core of each rice grain resulting in more uniform al dente rice. Keep stirring the rice, so the rice does not catch on the bottom of the pan or burn. When the rice is very hot, pour the white wine in. Let the alcohol evaporate, set the cooking time to 15 minutes and add the simmering stock a ladle at a time, little by little. Stir the rice occasionally, and keep cooking. Halfway through the cooking, add the caramelized onion to the rice and the tomato sauce.

Once the time is up, taste the risotto for texture. Remove from heat and start the “mantecatura”. Add the butter, the Grana Padano and the egg. Stir well to increase creaminess. Season to taste and let the rice settle until warm. Line a cake tin with baking parchment. Brush with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Fill the tin with a couple of spoonfuls of the warm risotto and spread it on the base. Create layers of sliced eggs, peas, mozzarella and meatballs and cover with the remaining rice. Press well until it is evenly packed and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake the Sartù at 160 degrees for about 40 minutes until it is nicely golden and crispy. It should create a solid crust. Remove from the oven and let it cool down for 10 minutes. Remove gently the pie from the tin tray, slice and serve hot.

Chef tip: This is a time consuming great recipe so it could be great to get the kids involved in and it makes the perfect sharing course for a get together family meal!