Roman-Style Meatball Cacciatore

At Piatto Romano restaurant in Rome, we learned that the local way to make cacciatore doesn’t involve tomatoes. Rather, the sauce has a base of white wine and is infused with rosemary and garlic, plus anchovies that lend umami but whose flavor otherwise fades into the background. White wine vinegar added at the finish brightens the profile. This recipe is our version of Piatto Romano’s polpettine alla cacciatora that pairs meatballs, well-seared to develop flavor-building browning, with the bold yet bright sauce. Though the restaurant uses only beef to make their meatballs, we preferred the more tender texture we got by including ground pork. Polenta or warm, crusty bread are good accompaniments.