Polpette - Italian Meatballs (Juicy and Tender!)

5 from 2 votes

Try these Polpette Al Sugo or classic Italian Meatballs. These soft, juicy bite-size nuggets are cooked to perfection in rich tomato sauce.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 419kcal

Author: Svi

In a bowl add stale bread and cover it with water. Let soak until soft then squeeze well with your hands to remove the liquid.
In another bowl add ground meat, soaked and squeezed bread, Parmesan cheeese, egg, finely chopped parsley, salt and pepper.
Mix well and set aside.

In a large casserole or a deep pan large enough to hold both polpette and the sauce add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Add finely chopped shallot and garlic cloves crushed with a flat knife. Let simmer on low heat until garlic becomes fragrant. Remove the garlic and add tomato passata, basil and a few pinches of salt. Rinse the can with a little of water add it to the pot as well.
Let simmer on low heat while you're rolling the meatballs.

While tomato sauce is simmering, shape polpette. You can use an ice-cream scoop or easier yet, spread the meatballs mix flat on a parchment paper or in a baking dish like I show in the picture, divide into equal squares with a bench scraper. Now roll each square into a ball.
Arrange polpette in a simmering tomato sauce. Cover with a lid and let cook for about 20-30 minutes on low simmer. Occasionally, give a gentle toss to make sure polpette don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
Serve hot or warm with tomato sauce.
Use any leftover tomato sauce to season pasta.