Polpette Napoletana

Jan 5, 2012

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Course
Entree

Ingredients

  • 3 cups day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1-1/4 pounds ground beef, or beef and ground pork mixture
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup pecorino, grated
  • 1 bunch Italian parsely, finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Marinara, optional

Instructions

  1. In a shallow bowl, soak the bread cubes in enough water to cover. Remove the bread cubes and squeeze by hand to wring excess moisture.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the bread, beef, eggs, garlic, pecorino, parsley, pine nuts, salt and pepper and mix by hand to incorporate bread into meat. With wet hands, form the mixture meatballs, each about the size of a golf ball.
  3. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, head the oil until almost smoking. Add the meatballs, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan, and cook until deep golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch. Serve warm or at room temperature.