Italian Meatballs And Polenta Recipe

Soak breadcrumbs

Place fresh breadcrumbs in a medium bowl and pour the milk over them. Stir and let sit 5 minutes until soaked.

Mix meatball ingredients

Add ground beef, egg, grated Pecorino Romano, minced garlic, chopped basil, chopped parsley, dried oregano, salt, and pepper to the bowl with soaked breadcrumbs. Using your hands or a fork, gently combine until just uniform—do not overwork the meat. Chill the mixture 15 minutes to firm up (optional but helps with shaping).

Shape meatballs

Portion the mixture into 1 1/4-inch (about 1.5 oz) meatballs using a spoon or scoop. Roll between palms to form smooth spheres. You should get about 18–20 meatballs.

Brown meatballs

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and brown on all sides, about 2–3 minutes per side, turning gently to avoid breaking. They do not need to be cooked through. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate and set aside.

Sweat aromatics

In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon olive oil if pan is dry. Add diced onion and cook until translucent, about 4–5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Build sauce

Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, dried basil, red pepper flakes, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Simmer with meatballs

Return browned meatballs to the sauce, nestling them into the tomatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer 15–20 minutes until meatballs are cooked through (internal temperature 160°F / 71°C) and sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in torn fresh basil in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Boil water

In a medium saucepan bring 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to a rolling boil over high heat.

Whisk in polenta

Slowly pour the cornmeal into the boiling water in a steady stream while whisking to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to low immediately.

Cook and stir

Cook polenta, stirring or whisking frequently, for 20–25 minutes until thick and creamy. If polenta becomes too thick, stir in up to 1/2 cup additional hot water or milk to reach desired consistency.

Finish polenta

Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth and creamy. Keep warm, covered, until ready to serve.

Divide polenta among 4 shallow bowls (about 3/4 cup polenta per serving). Spoon 4–5 warm meatballs and some sauce over each portion of polenta.

Garnish each plate with an extra sprinkle of grated Pecorino Romano (about 1 tablespoon per serving) and torn fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately.