Polpette Della Nonna Recipe

Soak breadcrumbs

Place the fresh breadcrumbs in a small bowl and pour the whole milk over them. Let sit for 10 minutes until the crumbs are softened.

Combine meat mixture

In a large bowl add ground pork, ground beef, and ground veal. Add the soaked breadcrumbs (squeeze out a little milk if excessively wet), the egg, grated Parmesan, chopped parsley, minced garlic, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Using your hands, gently but thoroughly combine until uniform—do not overmix (about 30–45 seconds).

Form meatballs

Portion the mixture into 24 equal pieces (about 1 oz / 28 g each) and roll into smooth balls between your palms. Lightly dust each meatball with the all-purpose flour and shake off excess.

Brown meatballs

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add meatballs in a single layer without crowding (work in batches if necessary). Brown on all sides, turning gently with tongs, about 6–8 minutes total until well-browned but not cooked through. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate and reserve any fond in the pan.

Sweat aromatics

In a heavy saucepan heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and softened, about 6–8 minutes. Add the thinly sliced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant—do not let it brown.

Build sauce

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to caramelize briefly. Add the crushed whole canned tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits from the meatball pan (deglaze the skillet with 2–3 tablespoons stock if needed and add to the saucepan). Add the remaining 1/2 cup stock, torn basil leaves, salt, black pepper, and sugar if using. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.

Simmer with meatballs

Gently nestle the browned meatballs into the simmering sugo, making sure they are submerged at least halfway. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, turning the meatballs once halfway through, until they are cooked through (internal temperature 160°F / 71°C) and the sauce has thickened slightly.

Finish sauce

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove and discard basil stems if any. Keep the sauce and meatballs warm while you prepare the ricotta.

Prepare ricotta

In a small bowl combine the whole milk ricotta, lemon zest, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil. Stir until smooth and taste; adjust seasoning to taste.

Plate and garnish

Spoon a couple tablespoons of seasoned ricotta onto each serving plate. Place 4–6 meatballs over the ricotta and ladle warm tomato sugo over the meatballs. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan and chopped parsley, and drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil if desired. Serve immediately as an antipasti portion.