Soft Meatballs alla Pizzaiola. They are truly easy and quick to prepare. A tasty main course, loved by children and not only, perfect for both lunch and dinner!
They are prepared by flavoring the ground meat with spices and herbs, mixing everything, and forming small spheres that are cooked in the tasty sauce without frying them first… believe me, they are FABULOUS!
The secret to their incredible softness? It lies in the mixture: we use bread crumbs soaked in milk (a grandmother’s trick!) and cook them directly in the sauce over low heat. This allows them to absorb the tomato and remain tender inside.
What makes this dish unique is the intoxicating aroma of the sauce, given by the addition of lots of oregano (just like on pizza!), but also by flavors reminiscent of the Mediterranean, such as black olives and desalted capers.
And for the finish? A touch of melting cheese (mozzarella, scamorza, or provola) added in the last minutes of cooking that makes them creamy and irresistibly!
They are perfect for a family dinner and, I assure you, they are the perfect excuse for an inevitable and obligatory ‘scarpetta’ with good homemade bread.
Let’s prepare the Extra Soft Stewed Meatballs alla Pizzaiola together!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 805.84 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 40.39 (g) of which sugars 2.03 (g)
- Proteins 36.05 (g)
- Fat 56.94 (g) of which saturated 21.56 (g)of which unsaturated 25.11 (g)
- Fibers 4.61 (g)
- Sodium 3,349.01 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 250 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Soft Meatballs alla Pizzaiola
- 17.6 oz mixed ground meat (beef or mixed or chicken or turkey)
- 2 slices stale bread (5.3 oz weight when squeezed)
- 1 egg (large)
- 3 tbsp parmesan cheese
- as needed milk (or water))
- salt
- pepper
- as needed parsley
- 5.3 oz mozzarella cheese (or provola cubes)
- 17.6 oz tomato passata (or pulp)
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- garlic (or onion)
- as needed dried oregano
- salt
- as needed capers
- as needed olives
Tools
- Bowl
- Pan
Steps
Soft Meatballs alla Pizzaiola
In a large pan (choose one that can hold all the meatballs), heat the olive oil and sauté the finely chopped onion.
Add the fresh cherry tomatoes cut in half, the tomato passata, salt, pepper, and a heaping tablespoon of dried oregano.(If you don’t have fresh cherry tomatoes, you can replace them with the same amount of tomato pulp, which will give a rustic texture to the sauce)
Add now the black olives and desalted capers. Stir and let simmer at moderate heat.In the meantime.
Place the stale bread cut into pieces in a bowl and cover it with milk, letting it soak for about 5 minutes.
(If you are lactose intolerant, you can easily replace it with water, the softening effect will be the same).
Squeeze it well to remove the excess liquid.
In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, soaked and squeezed bread, minced garlic and parsley, grated cheese, eggs, salt, and pepper.
Work the mixture with your hands until you obtain a homogeneous and soft dough.
Start kneading with your hands until you get a soft and blended dough.
If needed, add some breadcrumbs.
Take small portions of the mixture and form the meatballs.
Lightly flour each meatball, shaking off the excess.
(This will help seal the meatballs and thicken the sauce, making it creamier
When the sauce is ready and simmering, drop the raw meatballs directly into it. Make sure they are submerged at least halfway.
Cover the pan with a lid and let cook on low heat for about 20 minutes.Gently turn the meatballs halfway through cooking.
Five minutes before turning off the heat, distribute the cubes or slices of cheese (mozzarella, provola, etc.) on top of the meatballs.
Cover again and let the steam melt the cheese, making them irresistibly stringy.
When cooking is complete, turn off the gas, add another pinch of oregano, and maybe a few fresh basil leaves.Serve them piping hot!
Bon appétit.
Tips
The Meatballs alla Pizzaiola are made for scarpetta. Serve with rustic or Tuscan crispy bread to soak up all the stringy sauce.
Make sure they are piping hot when you bring them to the table so the mozzarella stays stringy.
If you haven’t already, add some freshly torn basil or chopped parsley just before serving. The fragrance will make a difference.
If you like a more intense flavor, you can add a pinch of chili pepper or sweet paprika to the sauce.
If there are leftovers, the meatballs alla pizzaiola keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. In fact, they often taste even better the next day!
To reheat, place them in a pan over low heat, adding a tablespoon of water if the sauce has dried out too much, and cover with a lid until they are hot.
If you enjoyed this recipe, click on many stars, thank you very much.
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