Meat, Quick recipe, Traditional recipe

Tomato meatballs – polpette al pomodoro

A classic Italian dish: polpette! I like to cook them with tomato sauce as they get very soft. They are shaped with the tablespoon measurement to make them similar in size and they are cooked in the air-frier, the best cooking method for meatballs in my opinion! Meatballs are eaten as a "secondo" in Italy, but if properly plated they could also work in your aperitivo. In most parts of Italy, we don't put them in the pasta as it is commonly believed in the US! I had my first "spaghetti and meatballs" after watching Lady and the Tramp XD.

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min

$8-10 total*

23 meatballs

Ingredients

For 23 meatballs:

112 g (4 oz) ground beef (85% lean)
1 whole egg
40 g (1 cup) parmesan cheese, freshly grated
120 ml (1/2 cup) milk
1 slice of bread
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
freshly ground nutmeg

For the sauce:

1 frozen cube of minced carrots, onions, and celery (or fresh and minced half carrot, 1/4 small onion, and 1/2 celery stalk)
400 g (14 oz) tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4-6 basil leaves

Preparation

Place the slice of bread in a cup with the milk. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: in a skillet, heat the oil, and once hot, add the minced carrot, onion, and celery. Cook at low heat for 5 minutes, then add the tomato puree and some water (to rinse the can of the tomatoes) and cook uncovered at low-medium heat for 15 minutes.
Place the meat, egg, parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, squeezed slice of bread, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix well. I know it’s a dirty job but try to mix the ingredients with your hands.
Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes.
Shape the meatballs with the help of the 1 tbsp measurement tool – you’ll get very similar meatballs.
Spray the meatballs with some oil (or place the oil in a plate and then roll the meatballs in it) and cook them in an air fryer at 390 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 6 minutes, shaking the basket after 3 minutes.
Once your meatballs are cooked, add them to the sauce and cook for 5 minutes at medium heat.
Serve topping with some fresh basil.

Tips & notes

I usually use a piece of bread that is not fresh anymore. In alternative to the milk, you can put the slice of bread in some water. It is a great way to recycle old bread!
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can fry your meatballs in a pan for 3 minutes per side, or you can bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 360 degrees F (180 degrees C).