Authentic Italian Meatballs (Polpette al Sugo)

5 from 12 votes

Authentic Italian Meatballs (Polpette al Sugo)

These Authentic Italian Meatballs (Polpette al Sugo) are tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. Made grass-fed beef, Parmigiano cheeses, Italian parsley, and onions, they're pan-fried and finished in a rich tomato sauce. Perfectly tender and easy to make, this classic recipe brings the taste of nonna’s kitchen to your table!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Italian sauce, meatballs

Servings: servings

Calories: 308kcal

Author: Lora

Equipment

1 glass bowls
1 Large skillet
1 large spoon
1 large sauce pan
1 sheet pan

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

1 lb ground beef Nonna used organic grass fed 85/15
1 small onion finely chopped or grated
2 Tablespoons breadcrumbs
2 small eggs or 1 medium/large
⅓ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated (or use Grana Padano or Pecorino)
2 Tablespoons Italian parsley leaves chopped (no stems)
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped (or 2 garlic cloves minced)
1 15- ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 24- ounce jar passata
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
Fresh basil
¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes optional

Instructions

Make meatballs:

Combine meatball mixture: In a large bowl, add all the meatball ingredients. Mix with clean hands (or use a spatula) until combined. Nonna uses her hands to mix it all together, as do I.
Portion out meatballs: Pinch out a portion to make 1 ½" round meatballs (about the size of a golfball). Roll them out and place them on a large platter or a cookie sheet. Depending how small or big you roll them, it should yield 20-24 meatballs.
Brown meatballs: On medium-high heat the oil in a large skillet, and start to fry the meatballs. Make sure you use a large enough skillet so you don't overcrowd. If you have a smaller skillet, fry in batches. Fry the meatballs until they brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the meatballs from the pan when they are browned all around and set them aside on a paper towel lined plate.
Another option: Instead of adding meatballs to the sauce to continue cooking, the meatballs can even be fried all the way through until they reach 165 degrees. Nonna (and I) prefer to finish cooking the meatballs in the homemade tomato sauce.
As the meatballs are frying, you can have your quick tomato sauce simmering away.

For the sauce:

Heat oil: In a large saute' pan or medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high until it's shimmering.
Add some garlic: Add garlic and cook until fragrant (no more than a minute, or it will brown).
Tomatoes: Add in the tomatoes and the juice(I break up the tomatoes with my hands, removing the hard end before adding to the sauce).
Bring to a boil: Bring the sauce to a boil and use a wooden spoon to stir,
Lower heat: Once the sauce comes to a boil for a few minutes, lower heat to a simmer.
Season sauce: Season with the salt, and let the sauce cook and thicken.
Check the consistency of sauce: If it’s getting too thick, add a little bit of water (start with a ¼ cup).
Add fresh basil: Finally, stir in the fresh basil and stir to combine (and parsley, if you’re using).

Add meatballs to the sauce:

Cook meatballs in sauce: Use a large spoon and gently transfer the meatballs into the sauce. Let meatballs simmer in sauce on medium heat for 15 minutes. Check the salt and add more if needed. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer for another 15 minutes until meatballs are tender to the fork and sauce has thickened. Keep in mind, IF you roll bigger meatballs, it may take longer to cook the meatballs.

Serve meatballs:

While the sauce is simmering, you can cook up your pasta to serve with the sauce and meatballs. Or serve the meatballs on their own with some grated cheese on top and with some bread and a salad.

Notes

Yield: This recipe will make about 24 large meatballs and will serve up to 6 people.
Breadcrumbs: Use store-bought or your own homemade breadcrumbs (read more in the post). You could also use diced bread pieces without the crust.
Mix with hands: With your clean hands, combine the mixture. It's very quick to combine. It's best way to see how the texture is of the meatballs is becoming. If the mixture feels too dry add some more milk, if too mushy to form, add a little more breadcrumbs.
Texture: The goal is to get soft (moist) meatballs that still hold shape as you roll them in your hands.
Oil: I used extra-virgin olive oil to fry them. You could use regular olive oil or avocado oil (they both have a high smoke point). Make sure the oil is shimmering and hot before adding the meatballs, or they could stick.
Pan: Best to use a non-stick pan or a even a seasoned cast iron skillet so that they do not stick to the pan.
Batches: Keep in mind if you use a smaller pan and cook the meatballs in batches, you may need to add more l oil to the pan since it does get absorbed a bit while cooking.
Meatballs ready: Very important to roll them out the same size so they'll cook up consistently. If you choose to cook them all the way through in the skillet, they are ready when the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C). If you choose to pan-fry to give them a crunchy crust and keep cooking in sauce, they're ready when feel firm and still tender when pierced with a fork.

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