Variations on the polpette recipe can be found in all the regions of Italy. The below recipe is a basic recipe; you can vary it as much as you like. Try polpette with capers, sundried tomatoes of replace the meat with soy for a vegetarian dish.

 

Meat dish
Preparation: 30 min
Difficulty: easy

 

Ingredients for 4 servings

– 500 gr (1 pound) minced meat
– 2 eggs
– 3 cloves of garlic minced
– 1 finely chopped onion
– 100 gr (4 ounces) breadcrumbs
– 5 leaves of fresh basil
– 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
– 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano
– 1 liter (2 pints) tomato sauce
– olive oil
– salt and pepper

 

Mix the minced meat with the breadcrumbs, Parmigiano, parsley, eggs, salt and pepper. Work the ingredients with your hands until it’s all mixed well.

Prepare the sauce. Put some olive oil in a casserole and fry the onion and garlic, add the tomato sauce, season it with salt and pepper and add the basil. Let the sauce simmer on a low heat.

In the meantime make balls the size of golf ball from the meat mixture. Carefully put the meatballs in the tomato sauce and cook them for about 10/15 minutes until they are done. Turn them over every now and then.

Serve with bread.