1. Start with the meatballs. Peel and dice the shallot and garlic finely. Heat up a frying pan with a small amount of oil and heat up. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté until soft and glossy – that only takes a minute or so. Remove from the heat, add to a bowl, and let cool down a bit. Set the pan aside for later.

2. Add the minced meat, bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, egg, sage, and oregano to the bowl and mix well. Season with some cayenne pepper, salt, and regular pepper. Let sit for about 5 minutes, then shape 12 balls and set aside.

3. For the pasta peel and finely dice the shallot and garlic finely. Organize all ingredients you need because you will have to handle two frying pans at the same time ;)

4. Heat up the pan you already used for the shallots and garlic, add some more oil, and heat up to medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and fry from all sides – takes about 8-10 minutes. Try to move them often, so they get nicely browned from all sides. Keep the finished meatballs warm in case the pasta is not ready in time.

5. While the meatballs are cooking heat up a second frying pan (medium-high heat) and melt the butter. Add the sage leaves and fry until crispy – about one minute or so. While doing that the butter will brown (dark spots will appear on the bottom of the pan). This is fine, but you do not want to burn the butter – so keep an eye on the temperature and remove the pan from the stove in between, if necessary. Remove the crispy sage leaves and let drain on a piece of kitchen paper. Add the diced shallot and garlic to the pan and sauté briefly, then add the pasta. Mix everything, then deglaze with the white wine. From now on you have to stir almost constantly. Let the wine bubble up, then add the beef broth. When everything starts boiling again reduce the heat and let the pasta simmer for about 5-6 minutes – don’t forget to stir constantly/often. Also, keep an eye on the meatballs ;)

6. The Risoni will soak up most of the liquid, and you will get a consistency that is similar to risotto. Add the grated Parmesan and heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. You want a creamy consistency that is not runny anymore but also not too thick/dry – if the mix gets too thick, add some more heavy cream. Last but not least add the arugula and fold it in.

7. Divide the creamy Risoni between bowls, add the meatballs on top, and decorate with the crispy sage leaves and some grated Parmesan. Season with some more salt and pepper if needed. If you have good olive oil you can drizzle a bit of that on top as well. Serve with a small salad or some bread on the side.