Italian Meatless Meatballs (Polpette di pane) are a typical poor man’s dish or cucina povera. Traditionally prepared when meat was scarce as well as a way to make use of stale bread. These tender, moist and cheesy meatballs are made up with all the same ingredients found in my mom’s traditional meatballs, minus the meat! Have you ever tried meatballs without any meat in them? I guess we shouldn’t really call them meatballs. In reality, in Italian they are called polpette di pane or bread meatballs. These soft, tender and cheesy bread meatballs are the ones my mother adds to her Sunday sauce or sugo.
Why make meatballs without meat?
These poor man’s meatballs are a perfect example of cucina povera, or making do with what one has. They were and still are made back in Sicily, and probably all over Italy for that matter, when my mom was growing up. As you can imagine meat was difficult to come by and therefore a meal was stretched by making polpette di pane. This was also a way to use up stale bread. Nothing wasted!The mixture for these meatballs is very soft. So soft that apparently my nonna spooned them right into the frying pan, just as you would with a fritter for example. Of course we now bake our meatballs instead of frying them before adding to the sauce. Just as good, if you ask me, and healthier for sure. But I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether you fry or bake yours!
So here is what I used to do on Sunday mornings when my mother made her meatballs. That wonderful aroma would entice me down to the kitchen every time! I’d reach into the pot with the wooden spoon and grab a meatball or two, spoon a little bit of sauce over them and devour them as a pre-lunch snack! Come on now, admit it. How many of you did the same?
What type of bread is best for this recipe?
Several of my recipes use the crumb of day old bread or stale bread, that I refer to as fresh breadcrumbs, instead of dry breadcrumbs. For example my mom’s meatballs (meat included!); stuffed baby eggplant; stuffed eggplant and peppers in tomato sauce; polpettone with hard boiled eggs; stuffed peppers; meatball stew and so on.
So what do I mean by fresh breadcrumbs from day old bread? I use a loaf of Italian bread, such as this one made by my mother, which is at least a day old or even several days as long as it isn’t moldy of course! Cut off the crusts, which you can also pulse through your food processor to make crumbs. Tear the crumb into small pieces either by hand, with a food processor or as my mom still does today grate on a box grater. It works!
You can use any type of bread that you like, preferably one with a lot of crumb since that is the part you need to use for the meatballs. In other words, a thin long baguette is probably not your best choice.
If there’s no bread in meatless meatballs, what’s in them?
Basically everything in my mom’s usual meatball recipe except for the ground meat!
Here’s what you need:
A loaf of at least day old Italian bread: as described above.
Cheese, lots of it! I’ve often shared with you that I almost always use a combination of grated Parmigiano and Pecorino Romano cheeses in my recipes, as my mom does. However, if you prefer or had to choose only one I’d stick to Pecorino Romano for it’s stronger flavor.
Eggs
Freshly chopped parsley
A clove of garlic: finely minced. You don’t want to bite into a large chunk of garlic in your meatballs!
Step by Step Instructions:
Here are step by step instructions with images. You can find the complete printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Soak the crumb of day old Italian bread (6 cups) in milk or a combination of milk and water. Let stand while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Squeeze most of the milk from the bread using your hands and transfer to a large mixing bowl. You want to retain much of the moisture. Add 1 1/4 cups grated Parmigiano/Pecorino Romano cheeses; 2 large eggs; 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley; finely minced clove of garlic; salt and pepper.
Use your hands to combine all ingredients.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil. Shape meatballs into balls and place onto the prepared baking sheet. The mixture will be very wet and soft, in fact your meatballs will be slightly oval shaped and flat. Just like my mom always makes them!
Bake for 10 minutes, just until they can hold their shape without falling apart. They will continue cooking in the tomato sauce.
Meanwhile, prepare a basic tomato sauce. In a large sauce pan heat olive oil. Sauté a finely minced onion for a few minutes. Add 2 cloves of garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes, optional. Stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste.
Pour in a jar of tomato passata (680 ml of tomato purée). Pour water into the jar and swirl around to gather the remaining sauce in the jar and add to the pan as well. I easily add about 1 – 1 1/2 cups of water. No worries, it will not make your sauce watery at all. The sauce will thicken as it simmers. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Add salt, to taste.
When the meatballs come out of the oven nestle them in the tomato sauce.
Simmer loosely covered for about an hour. The meatballs will further soften as they absorb some of the sauce, the sauce will thicken and become flavorful. Add fresh basil leaves before serving.
How to serve Italian Meatless Meatballs (Polpette di pane)
In most Italian households (as in Italy) meatballs are never served piled on spaghetti or other pasta. The pasta is served as a first course, primo, with the sauce that the meatballs were simmered in. The meatballs and probably other meats that simmered along in the Sunday sauce including sausage, pork ribs and perhaps even braciole are served as the second course, or secondo, with salad.
While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook your favorite long to medium length pasta including spaghetti, penne, rigatoni, farfalle or other of your choice until al dente. Carefully remove the meatballs from the sauce and set aside in a serving dish. Dress the pasta with the tomato sauce. Keep the meatballs warm to serve as your second course with a salad and bread to mop up the excess sauce on your plate. Enjoy!
Tips and suggestions:
- The mixture for these meatballs is quite soft, this is normal. If you prefer a meatballs that is a bit more firm simply stir in a few spoonful’s of dry breadcrumbs.
- Make your Sunday sauce with a combination of bread meatballs and regular meatballs with meat as my mom does!
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Cooked meatballs in the tomato sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months. Place in a sauce pan and slowly defrost on low heat.
If you try out this recipe, let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating and/or commenting on it in the recipe card below. Buon appetito!
Here are more meatball recipes for you to try out!
- Eggplant Meatballs
- Spiralized Zucchini Ricotta ‘Meatballs ‘
- The Best Italian Meatballs
- Sicilian Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Italian Meatball Stew with Potatoes and Peas
- Pastina Soup with Tiny Meatballs
- Stuffed Meatballs with Mozzarella and Peas
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 6 cups fresh breadcrumbs from day old bread from 1 large loaf of Italian bread
- 1 1/2 cups milk or combination of milk and water
- 1 1/4 cups combination grated Parmigiano/Pecorino Romano cheese or only Pecorino Romano if you prefer
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup parsley freshly chopped
- 1 small garlic clove finely minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- pepper to taste
- olive oil for drizzling on the baking sheet
For the tomato sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 680 ml jar of tomato passata tomato purée
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- salt to taste
- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Begin by soaking the crumb of day old Italian bread (6 cups) in milk or a combination of milk and water. Let stand while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Squeeze some of the milk from the bread, but not all of it, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. You want to retain much of the moisture. Add grated Parmigiano/Pecorino Romano cheeses; large eggs; freshly chopped parsley; finely minced clove of garlic; salt and pepper. Use your hands to combine all ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil.
- Shape meatballs into balls using your hands or a 1 tbsp cookie scoop and place onto the prepared baking sheet. The mixture will be very wet and not firm, in fact your meatballs will be slightly oval shaped and flat. Just like my mom always makes them!
- Bake for 10 minutes, just until they can hold their shape without falling apart. They will continue cooking in tomato sauce.
For the tomato sauce
- Meanwhile, prepare a basic tomato sauce. In a large sauce pan heat olive oil. Sauté the onion for a few minutes. Add garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes, optional. Stir in tomato paste.
- Pour in the tomato passata (tomato purée). Pour water into the jar and swirl around to gather the remaining sauce in the jar and add to the pan as well. I easily add about 1 - 1 1/2 cups of water. No worries, it will not make your sauce watery at all. The sauce will thicken as it simmers. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Add salt, to taste
- When the meatballs come out of the oven nestle them in the tomato sauce. Simmer with the lid loosely covered for about an hour. The meatballs will further soften as they absorb some of the sauce, the sauce will thicken and become flavorful. Add torn basil leaves before serving.
Notes
- The mixture for these meatballs is quite soft, this is normal. If you prefer a meatballs that is a bit more firm simply stir in a few spoonful's of dry breadcrumbs.
- Make your Sunday sauce with a combination of bread meatballs and regular meatballs with meat as my mom does!
- Serve the tomato sauce with your favorite pasta as a first course, and the meatballs as a second course with a salad.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Cooked meatballs in the tomato sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months. Place in a sauce pan and slowly defrost on low heat.
- Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact ingredients used and portion size.
Leila, Joe
We made these at the weekend and they came out perfect. Just like my Sicilian mum used to make. So yummy.
Nadia
So glad you enjoyed them. To be honest with you I think I actually prefer these to those with meatballs! Thanks again!
Maria
Dear Nadia,
I know of this recipe as ‘badottelli.’ My spelling may be off. My people were from the Aeolian Islands. Best, Maria
Nadia
Hello Maria, I have seen some recipes refer to these meatballs as ‘pallotte’. Similar recipes often have different names in various regions in Italy! We simply call them polpette (or prupetti in Sicilian) di pane.
Annie
Oh I somehow missed the ricotta zucchini meatball recipe, that sounds wonderful! Will definitely make that, and leave your meatless balls as is and mix them up with the meat meatballs! I really love that idea! Thank you so much!! PS maybe I missed it at some point, both is there a Sicilian Ephiphany cake? Best to you!!! Annie
Nadia
Hi Annie, yes those are definitely a favorite! Hope you enjoy them. I actually don’t have an Epiphany cake on my blog and I’m curious to see what that is? I’ll Google it to find out. Thanks Annie!
Annie
What a great idea to mix these up with the regular meat meatballs!
Do you think you could add some shredded zucchini to them?
Thank you again for another fabulous idea and Happy Belated New Year!
Nadia
Hello Annie, that is what my mom does all the time. I would definitely try adding shredded zucchini to them. However zucchini does add a lot of moisture so I would sauté it first just as I do for my zucchini ricotta meatballs. You can also check out that recipe on my blog at: https://www.mangiabedda.com/spiralized-zucchini-ricotta-meatballs/. You’re quite welcome and happy new year to you as well!