Polpette al Sugo (Italian Meatballs)

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Polpette al Sugo – Juicy Italian meatballs in a rich tomato sauce. This traditional Italian recipe is perfect for a family Sunday dinner, easy to follow and packed with flavour. Serve with plenty of crusty bread to mop up every last drop of sauce (fare la scarpetta!).

Polpette (Italian meatballs) in a tomato sauce on a plate topped with basil.
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There are so many different variations of Polpette (Italian meatballs), some are made with a mixture of meats such as beef, veal, pork and even chicken.

Some add cheese like ricotta, Pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano and some are made entirely from vegetables like our eggplant meatballs.

This version is Polpette al Sugo, Italian meatballs baked in a rich tomato sauce. It’s a traditional recipe that’s often served for Sunday dinner with plenty of crusty bread and contorni (side dishes).

See our full recipe below including step by step photos, tips and serving suggestions. We’ll show you how to make super juicy and tasty Italian meatballs that you’ll want to make again and again.

Ingredients – what you need

  • Ground Beef – use good quality for best flavour. You can also use 50% beef and pork or beef and veal if you like.
  • Egg – this helps to bind everything together.
  • Fresh breadcrumbs – breadcrumbs help keep the meatballs juicy and soak up flavour.
  • Pine nuts – Used in many meatball recipes in the north of Italy and tastes delicious
  • Garlic – make sure to use fresh garlic, powdered garlic won’t give you the same delicious flavour.
  • Herbs – I use a mix of dried oregano and fennel seeds. You can easily adjust this to your preference with any fresh or dried herbs and spices.
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Step by step photos and recipe instructions

Combine meatball ingredients – Add all the meatball ingredients to a food processor and blitz until thoroughly combined and smooth (photos 1 & 2).

Shape the meatballs – Next using your hands, shape the mixture into meatballs by rolling them one by one in the palms of your hands (photos 3).

Top Tip: When rolling the meatballs they should be shiny and smooth with minimal to no cracks on the surface.

Step by step photos showing how to make Italian polpette meatballs from scratch with a tomato sauce

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Brown the meatballs – Heat a little olive oil in a pan and brown the meatballs on all sides, set aside on a plate. Next, saute the chopped onion in the same pan until soft (photos 4 & 5).

Make the sauce – Place the cooked onion in a blender with good quality canned chopped tomatoes and blitz until smooth (photo 6).

Simmer the sauce – Add the sauce to the pan with salt, pepper and tomato paste. Simmer the sauce on a low heat for 10 minutes.

Add the polpette – Add the meatballs back to the sauce and gently toss them so they are covered in the sauce, simmer slowly for 30 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and meatballs are cooked through (photos 7-9).

Different ways to cook meatballs

There are a few different ways to cook meatballs, what you choose is up to you, all three ways are delicious.

  1. Deep frying – Classic Italian Polpette are deep-fried in olive oil (or sometimes vegetable oil) making them extra crispy and crunchy on the outside but super juicy on the inside. Once fried they are usually not served in tomato sauce but as they are.
  2. Pan frying (like this recipe) – my preferred method when serving meatballs in tomato sauce is to pan fry them so they are browned on the outside (locks in juices and flavour) then simmer them in the sauce to finish cooking.
  3. Baked – you can ofcourse skip the pan frying step and place the raw meatballs straight into the sauce (you’ll need to cover them with a lid). You can then cook them in the sauce on the stovetop or in the oven.

Recipe tips and FAQs

  • Good quality ingredients make the best tasting food – it’ll come at no surprise that using high quality ingredients creates beautiful tasting food. I say this in all of our recipes because it makes such a difference especially when it comes to tomatoes.
  • Best tomatoes to use – use a brand that you trust, if you haven’t found one yet then I recommend using Mutti or Cirio tomatoes. I’ve heard great things about Cento tomatoes in the US but have never tried them because they’re not available here.
  • Rolling the meatballs – when rolling the meatballs the surface should be shiny with minimal to no cracks. You can wet your hands if they are sticking too much.
  • Brown the meatballs – searing the meatballs on the outside not only creates a flavourful crust around the meatball but it locks in the juices where all the flavour is.
  • Variations – you can use different cheese, herbs or vegetables if you like. See our recipes for Eggplant Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (meat-free) and Baked Chicken Meatballs.
Is Spaghetti and Meatballs Italian?

Spaghetti and meatballs is an Italian-American tradition but you won’t find them served together in Italy. The closest recipe that exists is Chitarra alla Teramama from the town of Teramo, Abruzzo. Tiny pea-sized meatballs are served with Spaghetti alla Chitarra pasta.

My sauce has reduced too much, what should I do?

If your sauce has reduced too much (thickened) then add a splash of water to loosen it.

How long do the meatballs last?

You can store the prepared raw meatballs or cooked leftovers (covered) in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Can I prepare this in advance?

Yes, you can prepare the whole dish or up to step 5. When you are ready to eat simply reheat it.

Can I freeze them?

Yes, you can freeze polpette with or without the sauce in suitable freezer containers/bags. Let it defrost completely then reheat until piping hot throughout. If the sauce has thickened too much add a splash of water.

What to serve Italian meatballs with

Italian Polpette are served in various different ways in Italy. The most important thing to remember is lots of crusty bread to mop up every last drop of sauce from your plate (fare la scarpetta).

Polpette al Sugo are often served for Sunday dinner alongside roast potatoes, green beans, salad and other veggies.

If you want to have a primo (starter) the Italian way then serve the tomato sauce from the meatballs with pasta and the meatballs as a secondo (main course) as detailed above.

This is the traditional way of eating in Italy, you can read more about it in our Italian Braciole recipe.

You’ll also see them served with creamy polenta, it’s such a hearty and comforting meal.

Sometimes you’ll even see tiny meatballs in tomato sauce baked with pasta (pasta al forno) or even made into a lasagna. In Teramo, Abruzzo tiny meatballs (Pallottine) are served with Spaghetti alla Chitarra pasta, the closest thing in Italy that resembles spaghetti and meatballs you see in the US.

When the meatballs are deep-fried they are often served as an appetizer or aperitivo (without sauce) with drinks.

An overhead close up of three Italian meatballs on a plate with tomato sauce and basil leaves

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Polpette al Sugo – Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

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By Emily

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Polpette al Sugo – Juicy Italian meatballs in a rich tomato sauce. This traditional Italian recipe is perfect for a family Sunday dinner, easy to follow and packed with flavour. Serve with plenty of crusty bread to mop up every last drop of sauce (fare la scarpetta!).
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Ingredients

For the meatballs

  • 1.1 lbs ground beef, (500g)
  • 1 large egg, free range
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs, (60g)
  • Salt and pepper to season

For The Sauce

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 14 oz cans chopped canned tomatoes, high quality (800g)
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste, (puree in UK)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to season

For Serving

  • Freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
  • Torn fresh basil leaves

Instructions 

  • Put all the meatball ingredients in a food processor and blitz until thoroughly combined and smooth. Next using your hands, shape the mixture into meatballs by rolling them one by one in the palms of your hands. This should make 12-13 meatballs.
  • Top Tip: When rolling the meatballs they should be shiny and smooth with minimal to no cracks on the surface.
  • Heat a little olive oil in a pan and brown the meatballs on all sides, set aside on a plate. Next, saute the chopped onion in the same pan until soft.
  • Place the cooked onion in a blender with good quality canned chopped tomatoes and blitz until smooth. Add the sauce to the pan with salt, pepper and tomato paste. Rinse out the tomato cans with a little water and add that to the sauce (fill each can about 1/4 full) Simmer the sauce on a low heat for 10 minutes.
  • Add the meatballs back to the sauce and gently toss them so they are covered in the sauce, simmer slowly for 30 minutes.
  • Serve with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese and torn basil leaves.

Notes

  • Good quality ingredients make the best tasting food – it’ll come at no surprise that using high quality ingredients creates beautiful tasting food. I say this in all our recipes because it makes such a difference especially when it comes to tomatoes.
  • Best tomatoes to use – use a brand that you trust, if you haven’t found one yet then I recommend using Mutti or Cirio tomatoes. I’ve heard great things about Cento tomatoes in the US but have never tried them because they’re not available here.
  • Rolling the meatballs – when rolling the meatballs the surface should be shiny with minimal to no cracks. You can wet your hands if they are sticking too much.
  • Brown the meatballs – searing the meatballs on the outside not only creates a flavourful crust around the meatball but it locks in the juices where all the flavour is.
  • Variations – you can use different cheese, herbs or vegetables if you like. See our recipes for Eggplant Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (meat-free) and Baked Chicken Meatballs.
  • Storage and freezing – leftovers will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days or can be frozen. Defrost completely before reheating.

Helpful Info for All Recipes

  • I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
  • When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
  • All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
  • All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
  • Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
  • Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
  • You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 165mg | Potassium: 528mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 235IU | Vitamin C: 4.8mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 4.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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10 Comments

  1. M. Mosconi says:

    Excellent! Tender and full of flavor. New recipe in my rotation.5 stars

    1. Emily says:

      Thanks so much for the lovely feedback! I’m so happy you’ve added the recipe into your regular rotation ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Marlene says:

    This recipe is a winner!!! Made with homemade noodles and it was a hit.

  3. Armand says:

    Best meatballs I have had in a long time!!5 stars

    1. Inside the rustic kitchen says:

      So happy you enjoyed them!

  4. Diana says:

    Looks fantastic! Only thing – I think you missed breadcrumbs in the ingredient list of the recipe ๐Ÿ™‚5 stars

    1. Inside the rustic kitchen says:

      Uggh, I had ONE job! Haha thanks so much for pointing that out Diana I’ve just added it in now!

  5. Alia @ Everyday Easy Eats says:

    Hi Emily! Your Italian meatballs look so tasty! I love the step-by-step photos and how you’ve organized them…super helpful!! I just ate and now you’re making me hungry again, lol!

    1. Inside the rustic kitchen says:

      Hi Alia, thanks so much! Hahah that’s pretty much the story of my life!