Polpette Della Casa Recipe

Soak breadcrumbs

Place the fresh breadcrumbs in a small bowl and pour the 60 ml whole milk over them. Stir and let soak until milk is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Mix meatball ingredients

In a large bowl combine ground beef and ground pork. Add the soaked breadcrumbs, 1 beaten egg, grated Parmesan, minced garlic, chopped parsley, 1.5 tsp salt, and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Gently mix with your hands or a fork until just combined — do not overwork the meat.

Form meatballs

Portion the mixture into roughly 30–35 g (about 1.25 oz) balls (makes about 18–20 meatballs). Roll gently between palms to form smooth spheres. Place on a tray and refrigerate for 15–20 minutes to firm up, which helps them hold shape while cooking.

Brown meatballs

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When shimmering, add meatballs in a single layer (work in batches if necessary). Brown on all sides, turning carefully with tongs, about 6–8 minutes total per batch. They do not need to be fully cooked through — just nicely browned. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate and set aside.

Sweat aromatics

In a large saucepan or deep skillet heat 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the thinly sliced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.

Build sauce

Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook 1 minute to remove raw flavor. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, add 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp sugar if using. Add 60 ml water (or reserved pasta water) and bring to a gentle simmer.

Finish with meatballs

Carefully nestle the browned meatballs into the simmering sauce. Reduce heat to low so the sauce maintains a bare simmer. Cover partially and cook for 20–25 minutes, turning meatballs once halfway through, until meatballs are cooked through (internal temperature 70–74°C / 160–165°F) and sauce has slightly thickened. Tear in fresh basil leaves in the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Adjust seasoning

Taste sauce and adjust salt and pepper as needed. If sauce is too acidic, add a touch more sugar, 1/4 tsp at a time.

Heat milk and cream

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan combine 1 liter whole milk and 240 ml heavy cream with 3/4 tsp salt. Slowly heat over medium, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until it reaches 85–90°C (185–195°F) and small bubbles form at the edges — do not boil.

Curdle

Remove from heat and stir in 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice all at once. Let the mixture sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. You should see curds separating from the whey (a pale yellow liquid).

Strain ricotta

Line a fine-mesh sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Carefully ladle the curds into the sieve and let drain until the desired consistency is reached: 10–20 minutes for a soft, creamy ricotta; longer for a drier ricotta. Reserve the whey for other uses if desired. Transfer ricotta to a container and chill. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Finish and serve

Spoon a shallow pool of tomato sauce onto warmed plates or a family-style serving dish. Nestle the cooked meatballs into the sauce. Drizzle 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil over the meatballs. Dot or spoon generous spoonfuls of the housemade ricotta over or alongside the meatballs. Garnish with torn fresh basil leaves and scatter freshly grated Parmesan. Serve immediately with crusty bread or pasta.

Make ahead and reheat

Meatballs can be made and refrigerated in sauce up to 2 days in advance. Reheat gently over low heat until warmed through. Ricotta is best made same day but will keep 1–2 days refrigerated.