How to make Italian style meatballs in Tomato Sauce

I love eating burgers. When I was back in Singapore, I’d usually sink my teeth in one about once a week. Its probably not very healthy, but its such an instant gratification for me.

However, since moving to Italy, I haven’t touched a burger here, being that its close to impossible to find a halal fast food restaurant. But finding a halal butchery wasn’t that difficult in Rome. Thus all I had to do was to make them myself when the craving comes.

The irony is that while Cart and I were in Dubai airport waiting for our transit flight, I was excited to see one of my favourite fast food restaurant. I ordered a burger and almost perversely unwrapped the waxed paper.

Unfortunately, eating it, it was unsatisfying to me. I guess after a year of abstaining, my taste buds changed and I could actually taste the overly processed meat. I guess subconsciously, that’s the reason why I did not even consume one burger while back in Singapore.

In any case, I was making a batch of burgers not too long ago, when Cart was looking at me in astonishment. He shook his head, cringed and asked me, “Why don’t you make polpette instead? Its one of the foods that made me think long and hard before I became a vegetarian. Its so much better than burgers”

I looked back at him. But I like burgers! Fine! I’ll try to make them with my next batch of meat.

And since I just bought some at the butcher’s last week, here is my attempt at making Polpette Al Sugo, or Meatballs in Tomato Sauce for lunch. Not sure if its the best, but here goes 😛

First, I soaked some day old bread with some milk. Here I’m using stylo bread but any bread will do. Squeeze the excess milk and scrape the white from the crust and put it in a mixing bowl.

After that, I added with the soaked bread, the minced meat, a clove of mashed garlic, some chopped parsley, salt and pepper, parmigiano cheese, an egg and some chopped onions. It was only later through msn that Cart told me that it wasn’t necessary to add in the onions here. But oh well, too late. It’s mixed already! 😛

Mix them up well and then shape and roll them up into balls. Ooh! They look so pretty!

And then leave them aside to relax one corner or put them in the fridge for a few minutes.

Now its time to make the sauce! In a pan of olive oil, fry some chopped onions and basil

When the soffrito looks cooked, add in the tomato sauce and add salt to taste and leave it to simmer a while.

Then in another bowl, wake up the well rested meatballs and roll and cover them with some breadcrumbs and then lightly fry it.

And then add it gently to the tomato sauce and swirl the pan. You have to be careful here and take care not to break your balls 😛

Add a bit of water to loosen it, cover the pan with a lid and leave the meat to cook for about 15 minutes. Swirl the pan every few minutes or so.

And presto!

Now you have Polpette al Sugo!

Its actually very good, so good that I ate like 6 polpette at one sitting … Probably not a good idea for someone who is watching her weight

In any case, its strawberry season here in Italy. And you’d see loads of them being for sale in the wet markets. And they are so sweet!

Its pretty easy to guess what I had for dessert, yes?

Diet? Oh well! I can always exercise these calories away!