Meatballs & Polenta Recipe

Soak breadcrumbs

Place the fresh breadcrumbs in a small bowl and pour the milk over them. Let sit 5 minutes until absorbed.

Mix meatball ingredients

In a large bowl combine ground meat, soaked breadcrumbs, egg, grated Parmesan, minced garlic, dried oregano, chopped fresh basil, salt and pepper. Mix gently with your hands or a fork until just combined—do not overwork.

Form meatballs

Portion the mixture into 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs (about 18–20 meatballs from 1 lb). Roll gently between your palms to form smooth balls.

Brown meatballs

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown meatballs on all sides, about 6–8 minutes total. They do not need to be fully cooked through. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate and set aside.

Sauté aromatics

In a large saucepan or the same skillet wiped of excess fat, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 4–5 minutes. Add the 2 cloves minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Build sauce

Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes (or passata), dried oregano, torn basil leaves, sugar (if using), salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup water or red wine if the sauce is very thick.

Simmer with meatballs

Bring sauce to a gentle simmer. Nestle the browned meatballs into the sauce, spooning some sauce over them. Simmer gently, uncovered or partially covered, for 18–22 minutes until meatballs are cooked through (internal temperature 160°F / 71°C) and flavors meld. Stir occasionally and spoon sauce over the meatballs so they cook evenly.

Boil water

Bring 4 cups water and 1 tsp salt to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan.

Whisk in polenta

Slowly pour the 1 cup coarse polenta into the boiling water in a steady stream while whisking to prevent lumps.

Cook polenta

Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for 20–25 minutes until polenta is thick, creamy and the grains are tender. If it becomes too thick, add hot water 1–2 tbsp at a time to reach desired consistency.

Finish polenta

Remove from heat and stir in 2 tbsp butter, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Adjust salt to taste.

Spoon a generous portion of creamy polenta onto plates or a shallow bowl. Top with 3–4 meatballs per serving and spoon warm tomato sauce over the top.

Garnish with torn fresh basil leaves, extra grated Parmesan and a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately.