Polpette, the best meatballs in the world
Gino has billed these as 'the best meatballs in the world' and it seems like he's not lying! With pork mince, lamb mince and great chunks of ciabatta to mop up the sauce what could be more warming for a cold Monday evening?
And there are also some great offers on at the moment so you can cook this for a fraction of the normal price!
Polpette - proper Italian meatballs
Serves: 4
Ingredients
400g minced pork 400g minced lamb 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 150g fresh white breadcrumbs 2 eggs 5 tablespoons chopped flat leaves parsley 80g freshly grated Pecorino cheese Olive oil for greasing
For the sauce
2 x 720ml bottle of Passata, sieved tomatoes 8 basil leaves 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation
Brush with oil a large baking tray and set aside
Preheat the oven to 220°
In a large mixing bowl, place together the minced pork, lamb, bread crumbs, parsley and Pecorino cheese
Season with salt and pepper and break in the eggs. Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly with your hands, then shape into 12 equal sized balls. Place the balls onto the oiled baking tray and roast in the oven for 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour the Passata in a large saucepan with the extra virgin olive oil and place over a medium heat. Season with salt and pepper, add in the basil and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes with the lid half on. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Remove the meatballs from the baking tray and drop them into the tomato sauce. Continue to cook on a low heat for 30 minutes with the lid half on. Stir occasionally and if the sauce gets too thick, add a little hot water.
Serve hot or at room temperature with plenty of warm ciabatta bread to do the scarpetta - to mop up the sauce