Savory Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Serena Bringheli
This week, Foodie Sisters in Italy, Benedetta and Valeria, are making delicious meatballs in tomato sauce with a fantastic recipe from Italian food blogger, Serena Bringheli, our very first special guest. One of the most comforting dishes in Italian cuisine, everyone should have a favorite meatball recipe, and this one is now ours!
We welcomed our friend Serena into the Local Aromas kitchen to show us how to make her own recipe for classic polpette al sugo. Serena runs her successful food blog, Cucina Serena, and is the Lazio representative for the Italian Food Blogger Association; if anyone knows how to prepare fabulous Italian food, it is her.
Rather than being fried, these tasty meatballs are poached directly in the tomato sauce, ensuring a tender texture and lots of flavor. You can make the meatballs ahead of time and keep them in the fridge or freezer. Then, make a simple tomato sauce to accompany them. The polpette will flavor the passata, so if you have any leftover sauce, use it with pasta the next day for another quick but delectable dish from this one simple recipe.
In Italy, meatballs are not served with pasta but are eaten as a second-course meat dish. To eat them the authentic way, serve them alongside potatoes or greens with plenty of bread to soak up that succulent sauce.
Polpette al Sugo Recipe (Makes 20-25 Meatballs)
Ingredients
- 300g (10.6 oz) minced beef
- 50g (1.8 oz) grated parmesan
- 4 slices of white bread
- 1 small egg
- Milk (about an espresso cup)
- 500g (17.6 oz) tomato passata
- 1 onion
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh parsley
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the Bread: Cut the crusts off the bread and cut the slices into small pieces. Put the bread into a bowl and wet with a little milk until it reaches a sticky dough consistency.
- Chop the Parsley: Finely chop the parsley.
- Mix the Meat: Put the minced meat into a bowl and form a well in the center. Squeeze the excess milk out of the bread and add to the mince along with the egg, parmesan, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine the Ingredients: Use your hands to combine everything well, squashing the ingredients together with your fingers until you have a smooth, compact mixture.
- Form the Meatballs: Take some of the meat mixture and roll it on the palm of your hand to make a small ball, a little larger than a walnut. Continue forming meatballs of about the same size until the mixture is finished.
- Prepare the Sauce: Drizzle extra virgin olive oil into a wide saucepan and heat for a minute. Finely chop the onion, add to the pan, and cook until golden. Add the passata and season with a pinch of salt. Cook for a few minutes; if the sauce starts to thicken too much, add a splash of water.
- Cook the Meatballs: Carefully put the meatballs into the sauce in a single layer, avoiding squashing them. Ensure the sauce covers the meatballs; if necessary, spoon a little tomato over the top. Poach the meatballs in the sauce for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
- Serve: Serve hot or warm, covered with plenty of sauce and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
Grazie Serena and buon appetito!
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