Tomato and Olive-Braised Lamb Meatballs with Soft Polenta

Prepare Sauce: Pass tomatoes and sauce through the large-hole setting of a food mill; set aside. Wrap butcher’s twine around the bottom of the thyme and rosemary and tie together; set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over med. heat. Add bacon; cook until the fat softens and begins to render into the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in onions and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Pour in wine; use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of pot.  

When wine has mostly reduced, after about 5 minutes, stir in tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring sauce to a simmer; add thyme and rosemary. Reduce heat to low; gently simmer while preparing meatballs.

For Meatballs: In large bowl, whisk together ricotta, egg, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Use a wooden spoon to stir in bread crumbs, Pecorino and parsley; add the lamb. Use your hands to combine the ingredients; shape into 24 balls (use a small ice cream scooper to get evenly sized balls if desired).

Arrange the meatballs on an oven-safe skillet lightly coated with cooking spray; place under broiler until nicely browned, about 10 minutes, rotating the pan midway through for even browning. Remove pan from broiler.

Transfer meatballs to sauce; stir to coat. Cover meatballs with parchment paper cut to fit. Cover pot; cook at 325 F for 1 hour.

For Polenta: In a medium saucepan, bring water and milk to a simmer over medium-high heat. Slowly sprinkle in polenta; whisk constantly to ensure mixture is smooth. Continue to whisk until thickened. Use a wooden spoon to stir in salt and pepper. 

Reduce heat to low; slowly cook, stirring often, until creamy and completely cooked, about 45 minutes. Turn off heat; stir in butter, oil and cheese; stir until butter is melted and incorporated.

To serve: Remove meatballs from the oven, uncover, and discard the parchment paper, garlic and the herb bundle; stir in olives. Divide the polenta between 6 warmed plates or bowls. Top with a few meatballs, some braising sauce and a few olives. Finish with mint, Pecorino, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of black pepper.