Polpette alla Napoletana

By LeeBoruchow

The problem with meatballs in America is, well... there's too much MEAT in them! You need to add about 30% bread, like they do in Italy... which is why it tastes so good there.

Ingredients

• 3 cups day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• milk
• 1 1/4 pounds ground beef
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup pecorino romano, grated
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups basic tomato sauce

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

In a shallow bowl, soak the bread cubes in enough milk to cover. Remove the bread cubes and squeeze by hand to wring excess moisture.

In a large bowl, combine the bread, beef, eggs, garlic, pecorino, parsley, pine nuts, salt and pepper and mix by hand to incorporate bread into meat. With wet hands, form the mixture into 12 to 15 meatballs, each of a size somewhere between a tennis ball and a golf ball. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the oil until almost smoking. Add the meatballs, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan, and cook until deep golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.

In a clean pan add the tomato sauce and reduce the heat to a simmer. Add all meatballs, cook for 10 minutes and serve.