Polpette: Neapolitan meatballs

Votes: 1

Time: 1 hour 30 min.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 6

Unlike classic meatballs, Neapolitan polpette are made with cheese. Grated Pecorino cheese, made from sheep's milk, is added to a mixture of ground pork and beef, bread soaked in milk, eggs, and spices. Each ball is then stuffed with a cube of mozzarella, rolled in breadcrumbs, and fried until golden brown. Finish cooking them in tomato sauce and serve with pasta or rice. The meatballs are very juicy, with a gooey, cheesy center.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Meatballs

2 slices of stale white bread, crusts removed
1 cup of milk
1 small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
250 g of ground pork and beef
2 fresh eggs
60 g of grated pecorino cheese
1 ball of buffalo mozzarella, patted dry and cut into small pieces
Plain breadcrumbs
Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
For servingsteamed broccoli

Tomato sauce

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic
3 cans (340 g each) of canned peeled tomatoes

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Recipes with similar ingredients: ground beef, minced pork, milk, eggs, breadcrumbs, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, Pecorino Romano cheese

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Place the bread in a small bowl, pour in the milk and leave to soak.
Chop the garlic and parsley together. Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Squeeze the breadcrumbs and add them to the ground beef. Add the parsley and garlic. Mix everything together with your hands. Crack the eggs into the mixture to bind it. Continue mixing with your hands. Add the pecorino cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Form the meatballs with your hands, make a hole in the top and insert a small piece of mozzarella. Cover it with the filling and round the meatball again. Roll all the meatballs in breadcrumbs.
Pour olive oil into a frying pan and, when it's thoroughly hot, fry the meatballs for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Then flip. When they're crispy on both sides, remove them from the pan and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil.
Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce, cover, and simmer very slowly over low heat for 45 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened by half. Serve with a side of steamed broccoli.

Tomato sauce

Pour enough oil into a saucepan to cover the bottom. Add the garlic and 3 cans of tomatoes, mashing them lightly. Bring the sauce to a full boil for 5 minutes and simmer for another 3 minutes.

Cooking time: 8 minutes, 6 servings

Chef's note

I think canned tomatoes are better for sauces that need to simmer for a long time. Fresh tomatoes are fine as long as they don't need to be cooked for a long time.