Passport & Plate - Nonna's Homemade Polpette
Italy | Friday, March 6, 2015 | 1 photos
Ingredients
TOMATO SAUCE
1 small yellow onion (finely diced)
2 garlic cloves(whole)
1 can whole San Marzano tomatoes (diced)
Rosemary and basil (can substitute for herbs of choice)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
POLPETTE
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 small yellow onion (finely diced)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 egg
1 cup stale bread (diced)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (can substitute for cheese of choice, i.e. drained mozzarella)
Bread crumbs
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
How to prepare this recipeTOMATO SAUCE
1 Saute diced onion and garlic cloves in olive oil on medium/high heat until they begin to caramelize.
2 Add in diced San Marzano and herbs.
3 Bring sauce to a boil for a few minutes.
4 Turn on low and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
POLPETTE
1 In a large bowl mix the ground beef, pork, diced onion, garlic, parsley and egg. The best way to do this is by using your hands.
2 In a separate bowl cover stale bread with milk and let soak for 20 minutes. Make sure bread is completely covered.
3 Squeeze milk out of bread then combine the bread with the meat mixture.
4 Form meat mixture into palm sized meatballs. If the mixture is too wet (the meatballs don't stick) add in bread crumbs until mixture becomes more firm.
5 Lightly dust formed meatballs with a bread crumb coating.
6 In a pan on medium/high heat saute each side of the meatballs until they are golden brown.
7 Remove from pan and place in baking dish
8 Cover the polpette in the tomato sauce and bake at 350 for approximately 20 minutes.
*I typically serve this with a classic mash (rosemary/ thyme mash is pictured), or for a lighter option one can serve with steamed vegetables. Garnish with fresh herbs.
The story behind this recipeFood and travel have always been an enormous part of my life. My status as a duel citizen of Canada and Europe has provided me with numerous opportunities to live and work in different countries, because of these experience I have become much more than a tourist. I constantly search for ways to connect with people all over the world and fully immerse myself into a culture. The shift from tourist to traveler happened about six years ago after I graduate high school. Lost and unsure of what I wanted to do with my life, I decided I needed to take a plunge. I saved up, emailed my godfather for a job, and bought myself a plane ticket to Varese, Italy- the town where I was born.
In Varese I moved into my Nonna Bruna's petite apartment perched on a mountain. The apartment makes me feel at home just as much as her cooking does. The apartment is filled with postcards from my dad who works on cruise ships as a chef traveling the world, old photographs and the sound of the radio playing classic Italian songs. The place is modest , however the small kitchen always boasts vibrant, full aroma of typical Italian food: tomatoes roasting, fresh basil from the garden, lemons.
I became inspired to cook, write, see what food all around the world is like. Everything I know started with Bruna's recipes, one of my favorites being her classic tomato sauce and homemade polpette. After six months of cooking and working in Italy, I felt more focused. I moved to Toronto, took writing classes, cooking classes, graduated from Marketing. I have spent the last six years trying to see as much of the world as I can and continuously learn what it has to offer. At the age of 23 I have funded myself to 19 countries throughout North America, Europe and recently SE Asia.
Recipes like the one I have shared wit you today are so special to me because they helped transform a passion of food and travel into a lifestyle.
