Wednesday, November 26, 2025
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Polpette al baffo (Italian creamy meatballs)


Creamy Italian meatballs (polpette al baffo) – a playful twist on the beloved dish ”Penne al baffo”. The title says all of it: these meatballs are so good, you would possibly simply end up licking your moustache. Juicy meatballs (or Italian sausage, in case you desire) are nestled in a creamy tomato sauce, making this the proper fast and comforting household dinner on a busy workday.

Polpette al baffo (Italian creamy meatballs)

Tonight’s straightforward dinner is a cheeky little twist on anItalian traditional: ”Penne al baffo”, which gained reputation within the 70thies and 80ties. At coronary heart, it’s a love letter to fashionable Italian residence cooking – comforting, and gloriously tasty. Image this: a silky tomato sauce swirled with cream (sure, unacceptable to some Italians, however belief me, it really works), wrapped round juicy home made meatballs – baked or fried, take your choose. It’s principally happiness on a plate.

The title ”Penne al baffo” probably comes from the phrase ”da leccarsi i baffi”, that means “to lick one’s moustache.” The concept is that the pasta’s so good you’ll be wiping sauce off your high lip – or licking it off in case you’re daring sufficient. My model swaps the penne pasta for meatballs lounging in that dreamy sauce mixture. The consequence? A dish so good you’ll be moustache-licking in report time.

Substances and Substitutions

  1. Floor meat – or Italian sausage
  2. Egg
  3. Stale bread – breadcrumbs can be utilized, however stale bread soaked in water offers the meatballs their juiciness.
  4. Parmesan – greatest to make use of freshly grated parmesan
  5. Water – or milk for soaking stale bread
  6. Parsley – finely chopped – for each meatballs and sauce
  7. Tomato sauce – for sauce – use any kind of Pasta tomato sauce you want (like Barilla’s)
  8. Cooking cream – a liquid cooking cream like half and half, whipping cream
  9. Onion – for sauce
  10. Olive oil – for sauce
  11. Sea salt to style and breadcrumbs for the meatballs

Methods to cook dinner Italian Meatballs?

1st: Put together the meatballs by combining stale bread (beforehand soaked and crumbled), floor meat, parsley, salt and parmesan. Cowl meatballs in breadcrumbs and bake/fry.

2nd: In a sauce pan, put together the sauce by sautéing onion in olive oil. Then add within the tomato sauce and thicken it with the cream. If utilizing bacon, sauté it with the onion.

third: Sprinkle with recent parsley and a few salt. Mix with meatballs, let sit aspect for 10 minutes, so meatballs soak nicely within the sauce and serve.

What to serve with Italian creamy Meatballs?

A couple of scrumptious aspect meal recommendations:

Polpette al baffo (Italian creamy meatballs)
Polpette al baffo (Italian creamy meatballs)

Polpette al baffo (Italian creamy meatballs)

The European Dish

Scrumptious Italian meatballs in creamy tomato sauce (polpette al baffo), often known as meatballs that can make you lick your moustache (even in case you shouldn’t have any). Completely baked within the oven, straightforward and scrumptious for household time for supper.

Stop your display from going darkish

Meatballs

  • 400 g floor meat, mixture of beef & pork
  • 1 medium egg
  • 4 tbsp. parmesan, finely shredded
  • 2 slices stale bread, approx. (70g)
  • 1 cup water, or milk for soaking bread
  • 1 tbsp. parsley, minced
  • salt to style
  • breadcrumbs for rolling meatballs in

Sauce

  • 400 g tomato sauce, for pasta
  • 100 ml liquid cream, for cooking
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. parsley, minced
  • sea salt to style
  • 100 g bacon, non-compulsory
  • First, place stale bread in a small mixing bowl and canopy with water. Let sit for a couple of minutes till bread softens. Squeeze out all of the water and crumble the bread.

  • Then, in a big mixing bowl mix floor meat, egg, parmesan, crumbled bread, parsley and salt. Combine nicely and form meatballs with barely moist fingers.

  • Subsequent, roll every meatball into breadcrumbs on all sides. Organize onto baking dish and bake in preheated oven (180C/360F) for 15-20 minutes or till cooked.

  • Within the meantime, in a big sauce pan with lid, sauté (on low warmth) minced onion in some olive oil. Add in bacon if utilizing any.

  • Then, add within the tomato sauce and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the liquid cream and parsley and season with salt. Let simmer for one more 2-3 minutes.

  • Lastly, add the baked meatballs to the sauce, transfer from range high and let sit for 10 minutes earlier than serving.

VARIATIONS

  • water for soaking bread could be changed with milk
  • bacon in cubes could be added to the sauce 
  • parsley: recent or frozen parsley can be utilized 
  • parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano) : could be changed by Grana Padano cheese 

Meatballs could be fried in a pan as an alternative of baked within the oven. 
TOMATO SAUCE: I’m utilizing Italian tomato sauce with basil (Barilla model often).
COOKING: Meatballs could be fried in vegetable oil in the identical pan because the sauce, if you wish to make one pot meal. Put the lid on when frying (in small quantity of oil), so meatballs stay juicy. 
LIQUID CREAM: I’m utilizing Italian cooking cream (Panna da cucina) which has similarities to heavy cream, gentle cream, or half & half in different elements of the world.  
ITALIAN SAUSAGE: These meatballs could be ready with Italian sausage meat. Simply be certain the burden of the meat corresponds to the one within the recipe above. 
 

Prep Time 20 minutes

Prepare dinner Time 30 minutes

Whole Time 50 minutes

Course Important Course

Delicacies European, Italian

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