Polpette are tender small Italian meatballs that are cooked in a rich tomato sauce. In Italy they are eaten as a second course with potatoes or vegetables or even rice or polenta.
Around the world polpette are eaten with pasta and this makes a lovely and satisfying complete meal when served with a fresh green garden salad.
Polpette are also good for lunch, in a crusty roll, cut in half and covered with some of the sauce and shaved Parmesan cheese.
Italian Polpette in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
Tomato Sauce:
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 Tblsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small knob of butter
- large onion chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 Tblsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 small whole carrot (to add some sweetness and balance any acidity in the tomatoes)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
- 1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
- 3 large basil leaves, roughly torn
- 1 Tblsp chicken or vegetable stock powder
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Meatballs:
- 600 g lean minced beef
- 1/2 medium onion, grated
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped finely
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped finely
- I slice of wholemeal bread torn into pieces and soaked in some milk
- 1 egg, lightly beaten with a fork
- 2 Tblsp olive oil
- 1 Tblsp grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and , freshly ground black pepper
- Plain flour for dusting
Method:
Tomato Sauce:
- In a large heavy based saucepan that has a lid, heat the oil and the knob of butter on a medium-low heat
- Add the chopped onion and cook till translucent, notherabout 6 minutes
- Add the minced garlic, stir through and cook for a minute
- Stir through the tomato paste and cook for another minute
- Add the wine and cook for 5 minutes
- Add the chopped tomatoes and water
- Stir through the stock powder
- Add the parsley, basil, rosemary, bay leaf and stir through.
- Add the whole carrot to the sauce
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cover and simmer for 1 hour adding a little water if the sauce seems to dry out.
- The sauce will be ready when it is thickened
- Check the seasoning and acidity of the sauce and amend as needed
- While the sauce is cooking, prepare the meatballs
Meatballs:
- Place the minced beef into a large bowl and season well with salt and pepper
- Squeeze the milk from the bread until dry and add the bread to the meat mixing it through thoroughly
- Add the onion, garlic, parsley, mint, parmesan cheese and mix in with your hands, pressing the mixture to ensure that everything is well incorporated.
- Mix in the beaten egg
- Cover the bowl with cling wrap and place into the refrigerator for 20 minutes
- When rested, place some plain flour into a plastic bag
- Remove the meat mixture from the fridge and take tablespoonfuls of the meat, pressing and rolling it into balls the size of a golfball
- Place the meat ball into the flour and shake till well covered
- Set the meatballs onto a plate
- In a large frypan, heat the olive oil and the knob of butter on medium high
- Quickly brown the meatballs in batches, on all sides, removing them onto absorbent paper
- When all the meatballs are browned, place them into the tomato sauce spooning sauce over them to cover them
- Cook until the sauce is finished
- The sauce should be thickened and the meatballs will be tender
- Serve with baked potatoes, polenta or rice, or mashed potatoes and vegetables as a second course as they do in Italy
- Or serve with spaghetti or other pasta as has become popular around the world