The most widely-supported theory says the Polpette recipe originated in Persia. The word ‘kofta’ (which indicates the typical Middle Eastern meatballs) derives from the Persian ‘koofteh’, which means ‘pounded meat’.

In any case, today meatballs are prepared in a variety of different ways across the world. Spicy or not so spicy, fried or baked, in sauce or stewed, made from meat or fish, vegetables or beans, as long as they are well made. The most popular polpette recipe in Italy is the most traditional one: fried meatballs bathed in a tasty tomato sauce.

Whatever their history, one thing is for certain: once you’ve tasted the first, there’s no going back!

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients - For the Meatballs:

1kg of ground beef
600gr of bread
100 cl milk
2 eggs
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
200gr mortadella
10gr parsley
30gr Parmesan cheese, grated
40gr Pecorino cheese, grated
pinch of nutmeg
1 clove of garlic

Ingredients - For the Sauce:

2kg peeled tomatoes
100gr celery
200gr onions
200gr carrots
10gr salt
5gr sugar

Instructions:

Soften the bread: pour the milk over the bread and leave it to soak for about ten minutes
Prepare the mixture for the meatballs: pass the meat twice through the grinder together with the bread (after squeezing it thoroughly), adding the egg, cheeses, mortadella, chopped parsley, chopped garlic clove, nutmeg, salt and pepper
Work the mixture: mix all the ingredients well for a few minutes with your hands to obtain a homogeneous mixture. Divide it into equal parts the size of an egg
Shape the meatballs: sprinkle a little oil on your hands and form round meatballs, slightly flattened at the ends
Make the sauce: chop the onion and cook it in a pan with the oil until it becomes transparent. Add the chopped tomatoes, season with salt and cook gently with a lid for about twenty minutes
Cook the meatballs: heat three tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan and quickly fry the meatballs, two minutes on either side
Add the meatballs to the sauce: place the meatballs in the pan with the sauce and continue cooking for about 20 minutes.

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