Italian Recipes Recipes from Italy Italian Food

Polpette alla Casalinga

This Italian dish is more commonly known as Meatballs. Serve hot smothered in tomato and garlic sauce or combine with tomato sauce and spaghetti for a filling pasta dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 Slices of white bread, torn into small pieces
• ¼ pint milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 lb. lean minced beef
• ¼ lb. sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casing
• 2 ½ oz. freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 5 tsp. finely chopped, fresh parsley
• 5 tsp. vegetable oil
• 2 small tsp. finely chopped garlic
• 1 small tsp. grated lemon peel
• 1 small tsp. ground allspice
• 1 small tsp.  Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil for frying

Method:

1) Soak the pieces of bread in ¼ pint milk for 5 minutes, then squeeze them dry and       discard the milk.

2) In a large mixing bowl, combine the soaked bread, the beaten egg, 1 pound of ground beef, ¼ pound of Italian sausage, the grated parmesan cheese and finely chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon of oil garlic, lemon peel, allspice, salt and a few grindings of black pepper.

3) Knead the mixture with both hands until well blended.

4) Shape the mixture into small balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Lay the meatballs out in one layer on a flat tray or baking sheet, cover them with plastic wrap and chill for atleast an hour.

5) Heat ¼ cup of oil in a heavy-based pan over moderately high heat and fry the meatballs for 8-10 minutes until brown outside and show no trace of pink inside. Add more oil to the skillet as needed.
(Serves 4 – 6)

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