Pappardelle E Polpette Recipe

Soak breadcrumbs

Place fresh breadcrumbs in a 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, grated Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, chopped parsley, dried oregano, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Mix gently with your hands just until combined — avoid overworking to keep meatballs tender.

Portion and shape

Divide mixture into 18–20 pieces and roll into uniform 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs. Lightly wetting hands helps to get smooth surfaces.

Brown meatballs

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and brown on all sides, about 6–8 minutes total. They do not need to be fully cooked through — just nicely browned. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate and set aside.

Sweat aromatics

In the same skillet (wipe out excessive oil leaving fond), add 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil and set over medium heat. Add chopped onion and a pinch of salt and cook until translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and red pepper flakes and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Build sauce

Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup water or broth, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp sugar (if using). Bring to a gentle simmer.

Nest meatballs and simmer

Return the browned meatballs to the skillet, nestling them into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently 18–22 minutes until meatballs are cooked through (internal temp 160°F/71°C) and sauce has thickened slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in torn basil leaves in the last 2 minutes.

Cook pappardelle

While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tbs salt. Cook the pappardelle according to package instructions until al dente (fresh: 2–3 minutes; dried: 7–9 minutes). Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Combine pasta and sauce

Add drained pappardelle to the skillet with sauce and meatballs (if your skillet is too small, use a large bowl or pot). Toss gently to coat, adding 1/4–1/2 cup reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce so it clings to the noodles. Drizzle 1 tsp olive oil and toss once more.

Plate and top

Divide the pappardelle and meatballs among 4 plates. Spoon dollops (about 1/4 cup total) of whole-milk ricotta over each portion or place small quenelles atop the meatballs. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp grated Parmesan per plate and a few chiffonade basil leaves. Crack fresh black pepper to taste.

Serve

Serve immediately while hot. Leftover sauce and meatballs keep refrigerated up to 3 days; reheat gently and add a splash of water or broth if thickened.