There’s so much to love about polpette, or Italian meatballs. Traditionally made with beef or veal, the polpette should be meaty, light, flavorful and moist. You can give them distinct flavor from traditional Italian garlic and cheese to the beefy and lemony version in my recipe below. In Italy, polpette are served on their own, without any accompanying pasta or sauce or topping. But I love them with spaghetti and marinara, with rice, potatoes or polenta, or on a sandwich. Their versatility is endless. I make mini polpette, or polpettini, for the Meatball Homecoming Soup recipe below. This is a family favorite with lovely memories of my mom who made this soup for any one of our family arriving home from all parts of the country. She called it simply Homecoming Soup. My sister and I lived in Colorado for a few years, and when we made the 10 hour drive east on I-80, we knew mom would be at the door to welcome us and there would be a pot of Homecoming Soup on the stove. A welcoming hot soup is just what we craved from a day of driving and cold ham sandwiches. I updated the soup, still quick to prepare once the meatballs are made, with a lemony, garlic flavor. I like to halve the meatball recipe and make half into mini meatballs for soup and the other half into a larger size for pasta or sandwiches. Made ahead, they freeze well and are an easy addition to your evening meal planning. See the soup and pasta recipes, below, as well as pairing the meatballs with Italian Mashed Potatoes, included in this blog.
Lemony Beef Polpette
Serves 4
There are a couple of secrets to making moist and light meatballs. The first is to soak your bread crumbs in milk. This gives the meatballs a moist base. The second secret and key for making light meatballs is to handle the ingredients and the process gently. You’ll see the word ‘gently’ several times in the following recipe. And that’s the key—incorporate the ingredients thoroughly, yet gently, and form the meatballs gently. You’ll want to make sure they stay together in a ball, but not squeezed so they are too dense which makes for a heavily textured meatball. Also incorporated into this recipe is my mom’s secret, the grated Parmesan. She was the master meatball maker, and believed this ingredient made the mixture both light with added flavor.
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs, soaked in 1/3 cup whole milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
juice of 1/2 lemon (zest lemon before juicing and save for the following meatball soup recipe)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp anchovy paste
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1. After soaking the bread crumbs in milk, gently squeeze out the excess moisture. Then, mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix gently but thoroughly to combine the flavors.
2. Shape gently into balls, 1” in diameter for the meatball soup recipe that follows, or 2 1/2 to 3” in diameter for regular meatballs.
3. Cook over medium to medium-low heat in a saute pan, turning often, until browned.
Meatball Homecoming Soup
Meatball Homecoming Soup
Serves 4
4 oz mini farfalle
4 cups beef broth
1 1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 recipe Lemony Beef Polpette
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. While pasta is cooking, in a small soup pot add seasonings and meatballs to broth, cover and bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Place cooked pasta in 4 soup bowls, ladle soup with meatballs over top. Garnish with grated Parmesan, lemon zest and chopped parsley.
Pasta with White Wine Butter Sauce and Polpette
Pasta with White Wine Butter Sauce and Polpette
Serves 4
12 oz fettucine, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, diced
3 Tbsp butter, divided
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 recipe Lemony Beef Polpette
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, but reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, and set aside.
2. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add shallots. Saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp butter and wine. Cook and stir, and let mixture reduce by a third.
3. Add tomatoes, cheese, parsley, the reserved pasta water, salt and pepper and the remaining 1 Tbsp butter. Cook and stir about 5 minutes until butter and cheese melt.
4. Add cooked fettucine to pan and stir to coat well. Serve in individual bowls with 3-4 polpette. Garnish with grated romano.