Our Tasty Polpette Recipe

Polpette, better known in the UK as 'meatballs', are a traditional Italian dish first recorded in ancient Roman times. They are often served as the secondo, or ‘main course’, in Italian dining and many nonne have their own tried and tested recipes, using different combinations of ingredients which vary from region to region. The recipe we’re using today has been passed down in our chef Roberta’s family for many generations and the polpette are truly delicious! 

We recommend serving your polpette with our roasted tomato sauce for a simple but scrumptious meal.

Make Roberta’s Delicious Polpette

Serves: 4

Prep time: 30 mins (including rest time)

Cooking time: 10 mins

Calories per serving: 538 kcal

Ingredients

• 500g of pork mince
• 60g of bread (around 2 slices), blended to breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 30g of Pecorino Romano, grated
• 50g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
• 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

• Combine the pork mince and breadcrumbs in a large bowl and mix thoroughly, using your hands if necessary.
• Add the egg, Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano to the bowl along with a pinch of salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Mix together with the pork and breadcrumbs until everything is combined.
• Divide the mixture into four equal portions and divide each of those into 4 again. You should have 16 small pieces of mixture which you can now form into round balls.
• Put your meatballs in the fridge for about 20 minutes. This would be a perfect time to make the tomato sauce.
• When you’re ready to cook your meatballs, heat about 2tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet.
• Place the meatballs in the pan and cook until they have browned all over, moving them around regularly to ensure even cooking.
• Serve your polpette immediately with a generous amount of tomato sauce. Buon appetito!