Polpette al Pomodoro
Tender beef meatballs poached in tomato sauce — pour over pasta or eat straight.
Ingredients
- 500 g Ground beef
- 1 Egg
- 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 60 ml Milk
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 Onion
- 800 g Canned tomatoes
- 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 1½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- ½ tsp Red pepper flakes (optional)
Method
- Mince half the garlic into the beef with the egg, flour, milk, half the salt and pepper. Mix lightly and roll into 16 balls.
- Dice the onion; slice the rest of the garlic.
- Brown meatballs in oil over medium for 6 minutes, turning. Set aside.
- Soften onion in the same pan for 4 minutes; add garlic, oregano, chili flakes for 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes and remaining salt. Slip the meatballs back in. Simmer covered 18 minutes.
- Serve hot, ladling sauce over.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Polpette al Pomodoro
Polpette al pomodoro are Italian meatballs poached in tomato sauce — and it's worth knowing that in Italy the meatballs and the pasta are traditionally served as separate courses, not piled together as they are in the American-Italian imagination. These are beef meatballs made tender by a panade of flour and milk worked into the mix, which keeps them soft and moist rather than dense. They're browned first for flavor, then gently finished in the sauce so they stay juicy.
The magic is in the poaching: as the meatballs simmer, they release their savory juices into the tomato, and the tomato in turn keeps them from drying out, so the two flavors marry into something more than either alone. The sauce itself is a simple soffritto of onion and garlic with oregano and a hint of chili, brightened by good olive oil. The result is comforting and homey, the meatballs yielding to a fork in a rich, silky red sauce. Ladle them over pasta, tuck them into bread for a sandwich, or eat them straight with sauce spooned over — the recipe is happy either way.
Polpette al Pomodoro: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Polpette al Pomodoro?
A serving has about 470 calories — 29.4g protein, 23.2g carbs, 28.4g fat, 5.3g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 29.4g of protein, roughly 25% of its calories.
Is Polpette al Pomodoro gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains All-purpose flour. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Is Polpette al Pomodoro dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Milk. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Polpette al Pomodoro take to make?
About 40 minutes start to finish, but only around 24 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Polpette al Pomodoro?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out red pepper flakes — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Polpette al Pomodoro make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.