Nonna's Famous Traditional Italian Meatballs (Polpette)

I love meatballs but I don't make them that often. A few months ago I came across this recipe which I've now made twice. The meatballs cook right in the sauce which means the recipe is very easy - even for a weeknight! I made a few changes to the recipe below to reflect what I did differently, but if you follow the link above you can see the original one. These are so delicious and best of all - my boys love them!

Nonna's Famous Traditional Italian Meatballs (Polpette)

Adapted from Cucina by Elena

 

These nutritious homemade meatballs are the perfect meal to make on a Sunday afternoon and freeze for weeks to come! This is another tried and true simple, flavorful and mouthwatering recipe from my Nonna. 

 

Polpette (Meatballs):

1 pound of 80-85% lean ground beef

2 slices of stale bread or ½ cup coarse bread crumbs

½ cup milk

½ cup parmigiano reggiano, finely grated

1 egg

3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Sugo (Sauce):

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 whole onion

3 whole garlic cloves

2 large cans (28 oz) good quality crushed tomatoes

Seasonings of choice (I use salt, pepper and Italian seasoning)

Red wine

5 fresh basil leaves, whole

 

 

Make Polpette:

Place bread and milk in a large mixing bowl and let sit for 2 minutes, until soft.

 

Add egg to bread and milk mixture and mix to combine.

 

Add ground beef, parsley, parmigiano, salt, and pepper. Mix WELL with your hands.

 

Take a spoonful of the meatball mixture and gently roll it between your hands to form 1½-inch meatballs. Set prepared meatballs on a cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap.

 

Make Sugo:

Pour extra-virgin olive oil into a dutch oven and brown the onion on medium heat. Add the garlic cloves, canned tomatoes, seasonings and red wine and simmer, 10-15 minutes.

 

Plunge your meatballs into the pot with the tomato sauce. Turn the heat to medium-low. Cook for 20 minutes or until meatballs are fully cooked in the center. Once finished cooking, add the basil and cover with a lid. Turn off the heat.

 

Cook your favorite pasta, gnocchi or polenta, as directed by the package, to serve with meatballs. Before you drain your pasta, add a little bit of the pasta water to your sauce. You can also eat without the pasta and serve it on yummy bread. Generously top with parmigiano and serve hot!

 

NOTES:

Make Meatballs Ahead of Time - I always make a double batch of the meatballs and freeze them for a busy weeknight.

To freeze meatballs: Place them on a baking sheet in one layer so they aren’t touching, and place them in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe container with a tight lid. Freeze for up to 2 months. Add frozen meatballs to the broth when ready to use and simmer until warm. You can also add them to homemade tomato sauce.

Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese has always been my favorite kind of sauce. I make mine a little different each time. Below are the basics, based off my Grandma Filomena's recipe, with a few changes. If you want to add carrots and celery (I don't always add them and did not tonight), I find it easiest to use a small food processor for those and the onion and garlic. I also usually add red wine after the tomatoes, but most recipes say to add it before and cook it a few minutes. Red wine gives the sauce such a great flavor - I always add lots of it!

Below is a double recipe (the original recipe calls for 1 pound total of meat and one of each can of tomatoes). I did not double the onion and garlic in the recipe below, but you can. I usually make this double recipe in my Le Creuset 5.5-qt. Dutch Oven. Tonight I tried a triple recipe (2 pounds of ground beef and 1 pound of ground sausage) in my new Le Creuset 6.75-qt. Round Wide Dutch Oven, and it just barely fit. I managed not to spill any though! That dutch oven worked well because there was so much room to brown the meat. This was my first time using it and I love it! The next time I make a triple recipe, I should probably use my Le Creuset 7.25-qt. Dutch Oven, just to have a little more space to stir the sauce! This triple recipe was enough sauce for dinner tonight with 1 pound of pasta, and then I froze 4 5-cup containers of sauce for easy dinners in the near future.

You can easily adapt this recipe to your liking. I'm posting it here so I remember next time what I did tonight because it was delicious. My husband had 3 bowls of pasta which he rarely does, so it must have been good!

Bolognese Sauce

 

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped (optional)

2 celery stalks, finely chopped (optional)

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork sausage

2 28-ounce cans Whole Tomatoes 

2 6-ounce cans Tomato paste, plus 2 6-ounce cans of water

Fresh basil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Oregano, to taste (optional)

Rosemary, to taste (optional)

Italian Seasoning, to taste (optional)

Red wine (6-8 ounces or as much as you like)

Fresh parsley, chopped

Pasta water

 

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Sauté onion, garlic, carrots and celery (if you are using them) until the onion is translucent. Add the ground meat and brown it while breaking it up.

Add salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary and Italian seasoning (or seasonings of your choice) to the browned meat mixture.

Add a generous amount of red wine, stir, and cook for a few minutes (or you can add the wine after the tomatoes).

Blend whole tomatoes (or you can use a 28-ounce can of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes instead of whole tomatoes), tomato paste, can of water and fresh basil in blender until smooth. Add blended sauce to the meat. (If you don't need to blend the tomatoes, add the tomato paste and water to the meat mixture first and cook for a few minutes, then add the tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes after).

Continue cooking slowly, simmering for at least 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.

Add chopped fresh parsley once the sauce is done cooking.

Cook your favorite pasta. Once the pasta is ready and before draining it, add a ladle full of pasta water to the sauce. Stir the sauce once more and serve it on your pasta!

Freeze remaining sauce in small containers for future use.

This sauce is perfect to use with lasagna, baked ziti and stuffed shells as well.

3 recipes of Bolognese in my 6.75-qt. Le Creuset Round Wide Dutch Oven

2 recipes of Bolognese in my 5.5-qt. Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven

Baked Ziti

A few months ago I made baked ziti for the first time in a long time. I just cleaned off my desk and found the recipe that I wrote down so here it is. I based my sauce on my Grandma Filomena's bolognese sauce recipe that can be found with the lasagna recipe I posted previously, but the recipe below is changed to how I make my sauce. I used homemade ricotta for this, which made it taste even better. I made this in my Le Creuset 5.25-Quart Signature Rectangular Roaster, but it can be made in any lasagna or roasting pan. This is a great meal to make a day ahead and refrigerate until it's time to bake it, or you can make parts of it ahead of time (make the ricotta one day, then make the sauce and boil the pasta and assemble and cook the next day). You can even make this ahead of time and freeze it to bake later, which is great for holidays and dinner parties. It's also a great meal to give to someone in need of a meal for their family, since you can make it in a disposable lasagna pan. My family is small with two young eaters, so I could even split this into two 8x8 pans and freeze one for later instead of making it in a 9x13 pan. We ended up just eating it for leftovers for a few nights, which was fine with me!

The photos below are not the best, but this was delicious! Hopefully the next time I make it I'll get better pictures with my camera to post, but for now, enjoy this recipe which makes a perfect meal during these cold winter months.

Baked Ziti

 

Bolognese Sauce: 

 

2 Tablespoons bacon drippings or olive oil

1 small whole onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 pound ground beef (chuck, sirloin, round)

or ½ pound ground beef and ½ pound ground pork sausage

28-ounce Hunts Italian or Whole Tomatoes – blend in blender until smooth

6-ounce can Hunts Tomato paste

1 6-ounce can of water

Salt and pepper, to taste

Red wine (6-ounces or as much as you like)

Fresh basil

Fresh parsley

 

Sauté onion and garlic and brown ground meat in saucepan with olive oil. Add tomatoes that have been blended with fresh basil until smooth (or you can use a 28-ounce can of tomato sauce instead). Add salt and pepper and cook for about 15 minutes. Add tomato paste and water. Add red wine and continue cooking slowly for about 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. Add chopped fresh parsley once the sauce is done cooking.

 

Ricotta Mixture:

 

Mix together:

2 pounds Ricotta cheese

2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Parmesan or Romano grated cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten – increase number of eggs if ricotta is very dry

Salt and pepper to taste

Parsley, chopped

 

Add shredded mozzarella, grated cheese, lightly beaten egg, salt and pepper, and parsley to ricotta.

 

Pasta:

 

1 pound Ziti pasta – cook according to package directions until al dente

 

13” x 9” Lasagna Pan: You can either layer the sauce, ziti and ricotta mixture or you can add it all to the pan and mix it up in the pan. I add sauce, ziti, ricotta mixture, sauce – and then mix it up and top with another layer of sauce and grated cheese.

 

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375° for 30-45 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover the last 10 minutes of baking.

 

If freezing baked ziti: Freeze before baking. When ready to use, thaw completely and bake approximately 15-20 minutes longer than if baking freshly made ziti.

Lasagna

Lasagna is one of those meals that is perfect for either an average night at home, to give away to a family or friend in need of a meal, or for a holiday. You can make it the same day you want to eat it, the day before, or even a while before and freeze it. I've always loved lasagna, but I really love it when my mom makes it with homemade ricotta (which is actually very easy to make). The photos below are from August but I kept forgetting to post this recipe - I have only made lasagna on my own once, but it was delicious. I made my own ricotta a day in advance, then made the bolognese sauce and assembled the lasagna and cooked it the following day. I also made a super simple dutch oven bread to serve with it.

Below is my Grandma Filomena's lasagna recipe, along with her bolognese sauce recipe. I always make my sauce a little different each time I make it. I usually use a mixture of half ground beef and half ground sausage. I chop the onion instead of browning it whole and I add 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic. Sometimes I also put 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks through a mini food processor and then add those to the sauce. If I have fresh basil I'll add some to the blender while blending the whole tomatoes. Sometimes I use cans of tomato sauce or other types of tomatoes, depending on what I have big cans of. If I have red wine, I add a generous amount to the sauce which makes it taste even more delicious. And finally, I add chopped fresh parsley to the sauce once it is finished cooking.

I made this in my Le Creuset 5.25-Quart Signature Rectangular Roaster, but it can be made in any lasagna or roasting pan. I chose to make it in this pan because the sides are higher than other pans I have so I didn't have to worry about it spilling over in the oven (but I still put a sheet pan underneath just in case). This made a lot for my small family of 4, so I gave some pieces to a friend and then we enjoyed the rest for leftovers for a few nights.

This lasagna was delicious! I hope to try it again soon and to one day use homemade lasagna noodles, when I can find the time to make them!

Lasagna

 

Bolognese Sauce: 

 

It is a good idea to make a double recipe of the sauce so that there is some left over to serve over the lasagna.

 

2 Tablespoons bacon drippings or olive oil

1 pound ground beef (chuck, sirloin, round)*

            * Variation: use part ground pork or add a piece of pork (browned)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 small whole onion, lightly browned

28-ounce Hunts Italian or Whole Tomatoes – blend in blender until smooth

6-ounce can Hunts Tomato paste

1 6-ounce can of water

Fresh parsley

 

Brown whole onion and ground meat in saucepan.  Add tomatoes that have been blended until smooth.  Add salt and pepper and cook for about 15 minutes.  Add tomato paste and water and continue cooking slowly for about 1½ hours.

 

Ricotta Mixture:

 

Mix together:

2 pounds Ricotta cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten – increase number of eggs if ricotta is very dry

Salt and pepper to taste

 

½-¾ pound Mozzarella cheese (grated, chopped or sliced)

Parmesan or Romano grated cheese

 

Add lightly beaten eggs, salt and pepper to ricotta. This mixture is spread on the noodles. Mozzarella cheese and parmesan or romano cheese are sprinkled over the sauce.

 

Lasagna Noodles*:

Boil lasagna noodles in plenty of boiling water and add a couple of tablespoons of oil to water so that lasagna noodles won’t stick together. When noodles are al dente, drain.

 

13” x 9” Lasagna Pan: Add a small amount of sauce on the bottom of pan. Place one layer of noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread one third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, add sauce and grated cheese. Repeat the process and finish lasagna with a layer of noodles, sauce and grated cheese.

 

*Variation:  Use Barilla Oven Ready/No Boil lasagna noodles. Carefully hold each noodle in your hand and spread the ricotta mixture on noodle. Leave a ½ inch edge on one long side of the noodle. Spread mixture on next noodle. Overlap the filled long side of second noodle on the ½ inch empty edge of first noodle. Continue to fill the bottom of the lasagna dish. The noodles can be broken to the size that is needed to fill the space in the dish. Continue with cheeses, sauce and begin next layer. End with layer of noodles, sauce and grated cheese.

Bake 30-45 minutes at 350°.  Cover with aluminum foil first 30 minutes and uncover last 15 minutes of baking.

If freezing lasagna: Freeze before baking.  When ready to use, thaw and bake approximately 15-20 minutes longer than if baking freshly made lasagna.

Homemade ricotta!

Ricotta mixture ready for the lasagna

Homemade bolognese

Ready to assemble!

Ready for the oven!

Dutch oven bread

Stuffed Macaroni Shells

Lately I've been wanting to try a new stuffed shells recipe. The stuffed shells recipe that I usually make has spinach in it, and I wanted to make one with just cheese. My grandmother gave me a cookbook a few years ago called The Roseto Cuisine Cookbook and it had just what I was looking for.

Stuffed shells require few ingredients and are very easy to make. I use a potato masher to mix the cheeses and eggs. I boil the shells a few minutes less than the package says so they are easier to fill and don't break apart. Then I layer the filled shells on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or plastic wrap and put them in the freezer until they are frozen (it's easier to freeze them in bags after the cheese is already frozen in the shell).

I left only 6 shells out, enough for two night's dinners for me, and put the rest in ziploc bags and froze them for future dinners. I put the shells that I left out in two separate small dishes, opened a small can of tomato sauce and divided it between the two dishes, sprinkled the sauce with a little Italian seasoning, then covered them with foil and baked them. I paired my shells with a salad and focaccia - it was a delicious Sunday dinner!

Edit May 2024: This is my favorite stuffed shells recipe! I find that the San Giorgio Jumbo Shells usually tend to have less waste than the Barilla Jumbo Shells - Barilla shells are thinner and always have more that are broken or fall apart. I parboil the shells, drain them, set them out in single layer on a baking sheet that is lined with plastic wrap or foil (rather than putting olive oil on them which makes them slippery and harder to fill!), and then I fill the shells with about 1 tablespoon full of filling (using the a tablespoon from my everyday flatware - not a measuring spoon). I always have a few empty shells left, which I cook with the stuffed shells for anyone who wants some empty ones. I usually flash freeze the shells and bake them later, so I usually bake them at 400º for 45-60 minutes. I added some notes below on freezing and baking the frozen shells.

Stuffed Macaroni Shells

Recipe adapted from The Roseto Cuisine Cookbook, p. 85

 

1 package (12-ounce) jumbo shells

2 pounds (32 ounces) ricotta

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped

3 Tablespoons Grated Romano Cheese, plus more for topping

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1½ quarts Bolognese Sauce or Marinara Sauce

(or blend a 28-ounce can of Hunts Whole or Italian Plum tomatoes in the blender. Add a little salt, pepper and Italian Seasoning and pour over stuffed shells. No need to cook the blended tomatoes before baking.)

 

 

Parboil shells according to package directions.

 

Combine the next six ingredients and mix well.

 

Fill shells with the cheese mixture – about 1 tablespoon of mixture per shell.

 

Place a little bit of sauce in a baking dish and arrange shells in a single layer over the sauce.

 

Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese.

 

Cover with foil and bake at 375º for about 45 minutes.

 

Serves 4 to 6.

 

Notes:

 

FREEZING STUFFED SHELLS:

Arrange stuffed shells on a plastic-wrap covered cookie sheet. Quick freeze. When shells are frozen, remove shells from cookie sheet and arrange in layers in a freezer container or place in a Zip-lock plastic bag. Remove the stuffed shells as you need them.

 

BAKING STUFFED SHELLS:

If using frozen sauce, completely defrost the sauce, but you do not need to heat it up. Alternatively, blend a can of whole tomatoes or use a can of tomato sauce. Season as you wish or leave the sauce plain.

 

Do not defrost the shells before baking. Place a little bit of sauce in a baking dish and arrange the frozen shells in a single layer over the sauce. Spoon more sauce over and around the shells – make sure there is some sauce on each shell but do not drown them in sauce.

 

Cover with foil and bake at 375º to 400º for about 45-60 minutes or until steaming – do not let it dry out.

Cheeses, parsley and eggs

Boiled shells

Stuffed shells

Frozen shells

Top with sauce

Right out of the oven

Photos by JoJo

Updated photos from September 2021: