Polpette al sugo
Meatballs in tomato sauce
Polpette al sugo: southern Italy's soft beef and pork meatballs simmered in tomato sauce
In southern Italian homes, polpette al sugo are the Sunday treat: soft meatballs of beef and pork mince with stale bread, egg, Parmigiano, garlic and parsley, browned and then simmered slowly in tomato sauce. The sauce goes on pasta as the first course, and the meatballs are the second, with bread. Neapolitan grandmothers make them big, the size of a small orange. They contain pork. Chef's tip: soak the bread in milk and use plenty of it; it is what keeps the meatballs tender and light, not firm and dry.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 3 ½ oz stale breadcrusts removed
- ½ cup milk
- 14 oz beef mince
- 7 oz pork mince
- 1 egg
- 1 ¾ oz Parmigiano Reggianograted
- 1 clove garlicfinely chopped
- 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak 3 ½ oz stale bread in ½ cup milk for 5 minutes, squeeze and crumble into a bowl. Add 14 oz beef mince, 7 oz pork mince, 1 egg, 1 ¾ oz Parmigiano Reggiano, 1 clove garlic, 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and mix gently with your hands. Common mistake: squeezing hard; overmixed meatballs turn dense.
Step 2: Shape into 18 balls with wet hands.
Step 3: Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and brown the meatballs for 6–8 minutes, turning, until golden all over.
8 minStep 4: In a wide pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and cook 1 onion for 5 minutes. Add 2 ¼ lb passata, 8 basil leaves and ½ tsp salt and bring to a simmer.
6 minStep 5: Add the meatballs, cover and simmer gently for 40–45 minutes, turning once, until the sauce is thick and the meatballs are cooked through to 160°F in the middle.
45 minStep 6: Serve the sauce with pasta, and the meatballs with bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does polpette al sugo take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of egg?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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