Nonna's Meatballs In Tomato Sauce - Polpette Di Nonna
A one-pan recipe for giant, soft meatballs that comes straight from our Nonna's kitchen recipes. An authentic way to enjoy beef meatballs in a delicious tomato sauce without any pasta in sight!
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Servings: 10 Meatballs
Calories: 350kcal
Ingredients
For The Meatballs
- 160 g Crusty Bread Roll, approx. 2 small rolls
- 900 g Beef Mince, 12% Fat
- 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 30 g Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
- 2 Medium Eggs
For The Tomato Sauce
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 stick Celery
- 1 small Red Onion
- 1 Carrot
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1.5 tbsp White Wine
- 400 g Passata
- 800 g Finely Chopped Tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Sugar, or to taste
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Fill a small bowl with hot water, then break the crusty bread roll into large chunks and soak them in the water.
- In a large bowl, combine the beef mince, salt, pepper, finely chopped parsley, and finely grated parmesan cheese. Gently mix together with your fingers until evenly distributed.
- Lift the soaked bread chunks out of the water, squeezing out the excess liquid back into the bowl, and leaving the soggy bread in your hands.
- Add the squeezed bread to the mince mixture and mix it through gently as before.
- Whisk the eggs briefly, then add them to the meatball mixture. Mix everything together until the eggs are evenly spread throughout.
- Cover the mixture and place it in the fridge to chill.
- For the sauce, grate the celery and dice the onion, peel and chop the carrot into small pieces, and crush the garlic cloves.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan with deep sides over medium heat. Make sure the pan is large enough to hold all the sauce and meatballs.
- Add the grated celery and diced onion to the pan and fry until soft. Then add the crushed garlic and chopped carrot pieces, frying for another minute.
- Pour in the white wine and allow it to reduce slightly.
- Add the passata and chopped tomatoes to the pan, mixing everything together.
- Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, stirring well.
- Once the sauce is bubbling, reduce the heat to low-medium and let it simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- While the sauce simmers, remove the meat mixture from the fridge and shape it into large meatballs, ensuring they are evenly sized, somewhere between a golf ball and tennis ball. Set them aside on a plate.
- After the sauce has simmered for 20 minutes, gently place the meatballs into the sauce and cover the pan with a lid. Let everything simmer together for another 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, use a large spoon or slotted spoon to gently turn the meatballs over in the sauce. Simmer for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Once ready, serve the meatballs with freshly steamed greens and slices of fresh bread.
Recipe Notes
- Mix Gently: Avoid overworking the meatball mixture to prevent tough meatballs. Mix until just combined.
- Chilling Matters: Rest mixture in fridge for 30 mins for easier shaping and to prevent crumbling during cooking.
- Stick to The Same Size: Form uniform-sized meatballs for even cooking, aiming for consistency between a golf ball and a tennis ball.
- Simmer, Don't Boil: Simmer sauce gently to develop flavours without reducing too much.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 795mg | Potassium: 638mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1473IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 4mg