This is my mom's classic Italian stuffed meatloaf recipe, or polpettone, simmered in tomato sauce. For the perfect Sunday meal enjoy the sauce with your favorite pasta and serve the spinach and egg stuffed meatloaf as your main course!
My mother's stuffed meatloaf with hard boiled eggs in tomato sauce was a typical Sunday dinner.
Her polpettone was filled with a savory garlicky spinach layer, topped with mozzarella and hard boiled eggs. Slowly simmered in tomato sauce that was enjoyed with a pasta first course, this Italian meatloaf was the main course served with an array of vegetable side dishes.
This was no doubt a filling, and incredibly satisfying meal. And let's not forget comforting, especially since it was lovingly prepared by mom!
This stuffed meatloaf recipe makes about 12 servings, enough to serve for dinner and provide plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day! However, it can be easily halved to feed a smaller crowd.
Why is this Italian meatloaf so moist?
The secret, in this recipe as well as all of my mother's recipes made with ground meat, is the fresh breadcrumbs or muddica as it is known as in the Sicilian dialect.
I have enjoyed meatballs, meatloaf, and stuffed peppers made with fresh breadcrumbs since birth and I can tell immediately when dry breadcrumbs are used instead.
The texture is simply not the same. Muddica makes any meatloaf recipe soft and moist. Try it out for yourself to see the difference muddica makes!
Stuffed Meatloaf Variation
The filling for this stuffed meatloaf sometimes varied. Instead of a layer of garlic sautéed spinach, my mom sometimes simply added slices of prosciutto cotto (cooked ham) or mortadella instead.
But I think the layer of spinach adds a nice contrast in color when you slice this meatloaf as well as extra nutrition!
Ingredient List
- Ground meat: I used a combination of beef and pork, but any variety will do
- Fresh breadcrumbs: made from a loaf of day old Italian bread, crusts removed
- Milk: for soaking the fresh breadcrumbs. May be replaced with water
- Eggs: for the meat mixture and hard boiled for the center of the meatloaf
- Spinach
- Pecorino Romano cheese: or Parmigiano if you prefer
- Mozzarella: shredded. Other choices include provolone or scamorza
- Garlic: for the meatloaf as well as the tomato sauce
- Freshly chopped parsley
- Tomato passata: tomato purée
- Onion
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
For the meatloaf
- Sauté the spinach in a large pan in olive oil over medium heat until wilted. Stir in the one clove minced garlic and cook an additional minute. Transfer to a sieve over a bowl and let cool slightly before pressing out excess liquid from the spinach.
- Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl, cover with the milk and toss to coat.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and tear a second piece of parchment paper of the same size. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the meat; Pecorino Romano cheese; one minced garlic clove; chopped parsley; eggs; fresh breadcrumbs (excess milk squeezed out); and salt and pepper.
- Spread the meat mixture on the parchment covered baking sheet. Cover with the second sheet and use your hands or a rolling pin to evenly spread the meat to cover the entire pan.
- Remove the parchment paper covering the meat. Evenly spread the spinach over the meat leaving a 1-inch border all around.
- Top the spinach with shredded mozzarella.
- Place the hard boiled eggs in a row in the lower third of the meat.
- Use the longer edge of the parchment paper to roll, as tightly as possible, the meatloaf over the hardboiled eggs.
- Place seam side down on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes to lightly brown the meatloaf.
For the tomato sauce
- While the meatloaf is in the oven, heat olive oil in a pan large enough to hold the meatloaf. Sauté the onion until softened, stir in the garlic and cook a minute longer.
- Pour in the tomato passata, add 2 cups water in the jar and swirl it around to gather the remaining sauce and add to the pan.
- Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.
- Carefully lower the browned meatloaf in the sauce. Use a ladle to pour some of the sauce over the meatloaf.
- Bake uncovered for 1 ½ hours until juices run clear when you pierce the meatloaf with a knife. Every half hour or so pour some of the sauce over the meatloaf.
- Serve hot along with side vegetable dishes.
Recipe Notes
-Instead of a spinach layer, try this recipe with slices of prosciutto cotto or mortadella.
-Shredded mozzarella may be replaced with provolone, caciocavallo or scamorza cheese.
-Yes, this stuffed meatloaf is typically simmered in a pot on the stove top. However, with such a large sized meatloaf, I choose the easier option of baking it instead.
-If you choose to halve the recipe to make a smaller polpettone, it will easily fit in a smaller sauce pan on your stove top.
Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Once the meatloaf is ready, toss the sauce with your favorite pasta and serve as a first course. Enjoy the meatloaf as a main course with side vegetables such as sautéed rapini; broccoli; asparagus; roasted potatoes or a green salad.
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know how muc you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below!
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Check out more Italian ground meat recipes!
- Sicilian Meatball Recipe
- Polpettone with Hard Boiled Eggs
- Stuffed Cucuzza Recipe
- Italian Stuffed Peppers
- Stuffed Eggplant and Peppers in Tomato Sauce
- Stuffed Meatballs with Mozzarella and Peas
- Sicilian Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Ingredients
For the meatloaf
- 284 grams spinach leaves 10 oz bag
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 kg ground meat Just over 2 lbs. I used a combination of beef and pork
- 1½ cups fresh breadcrumbs made from a day old loaf of Italian bread, crusts removed
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Roman cheese or Parmigiano cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
- 4 large hard boiled eggs for the filling
For the tomato sauce
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 690 ml jar tomato passata tomato purée
- salt to taste
- pepperoncino optional
- fresh basil leaves optional
Instructions
Prepare the meatloaf
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and tear a second piece of parchment paper of the same size. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl, cover with the milk and toss to coat.
- Sauté the spinach in a large pan in olive oil over medium heat until wilted. Stir in the minced garlic and cook an additional minute.
- Transfer to a sieve over a bowl and let cool slightly before pressing out excess liquid from the spinach.
- In a large bowl combine the meat; Pecorino Romano cheese; minced garlic clove; chopped parsley; eggs; fresh breadcrumbs (excess milk squeezed out); and salt and pepper.
- Spread the meat mixture on the parchment covered baking sheet. Cover with the second sheet and use your hands or a rolling pin to evenly spread the meat to cover the entire pan.
- Remove the parchment paper covering the meat. Evenly spread the spinach over the meat leaving a 1-inch border all around.
- Top the spinach with shredded mozzarella. Place the hard boiled eggs in a row in the lower third of the meat.
- Use the longer edge of the parchment paper to roll, as tightly as possible, the meatloaf over the hardboiled eggs. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes to lightly brown the meatloaf.
For the tomato sauce
- While the meatloaf is in the oven, heat olive oil in a pan large enough to hold the meatloaf.
- Sauté the onion until softened, stir in the garlic and pepperoncinio (if using) and cook a minute longer.
- Pour in the tomato passata, add 2 cups water in the jar and swirl it around to gather the remaining sauce and add to the pan. If available, toss in a few basil leaves for extra flavor.
- Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.
- Carefully lower the browned meatloaf in the sauce. Use a ladle to pour some of the sauce over the meatloaf.
- Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Bake uncovered for 1 ½ hours until juices run clear when you pierce the meatloaf with a knife. Every half hour or so pour some of the sauce over the meatloaf.
- Serve hot along with side vegetable dishes.
Notes
-Shredded mozzarella may be replaced with provolone, caciocavallo or scamorza cheese. Can this stuffed meatloaf be prepared on the stove top instead of the oven? -Yes, this meatloaf is typically simmered in a pot on the stove top. However, with a meatloaf of this large size, I choose the easier option of baking it instead.
-If you choose to halve the recipe to make a smaller polpettone, it will easily fit in a smaller sauce pan on your stove top. Storage Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days. To serve Once the meatloaf is ready, toss the sauce with your favorite pasta and serve as a first course. Enjoy the meatloaf as a main course with side vegetables such as sautéed rapini; broccoli; asparagus; roasted potatoes or a green salad.
Angela DOLCE
Wow! I never thought I would see a recipe for this meatloaf I grew up eating in my Sicilian household. in NYC. I thought my grandmother was the only one who made it this way. It was hard to explain to people what this meatloaf was like without getting an odd look when I mentioned the hard boiled eggs inside. Most people identify with the American style meatloaf. I'm so excited to share this with my children - I'm going to make it this week. This will bring back many fond memories of Sunday dinners. My grandmother didn't leave any written recipes and I'm always so excited when I find an old family favorite here. Thank you again!
Nadia
Thank you Angela, so sorry for this late reply, somehow I did not come across your comment. But I do thank you for your kind words and I'm so glad you were able to find my recipe. I do hope you enjoyed it!
Margaret Arangio
Nadia how much milk?
Nadia
Oops thank you for pointing that out Margaret, it's 1/4 cup and now corrected. Thanks!
Margaret Arangio
Thanks for your reply. I’ve made a note of it just a couple more things I want to ask about.
I just made it and I found the 1 1/2 cups to be way too much.
Also in the instructions you have 3 places to add garlic to the sauce, the spinach and the meatloaf. However in your ingredients list it only lists the meatloaf and the sauce. I found myself questioning if it wasn’t too much in all 3 places but added it anyway. It’s in the oven now and I’ll let you know how it turned out. The aroma is wonderful! I’m sure it’s going to be amazing.
Nadia
Hi Margaret, yes that is cote t, it is 3 cloves garlic. One sautéed with the garlic; one added to the meat mixture and lastly one in the tomato sauce. As for the 1 1|2 cups of fresh breadcrumbs, that has always been the secret to my mom’s moist and tender meatballs or meatloaf. I do hope you enjoy it and thank you for your comment!
Margaret Arangio
I agree that the breadcrumbs are the secret for a moist meatloaf. I added them just a bit less in quantity. The meatloaf was moist, the sauce thick and very tasty. Overall my family really liked it!
A bit of work, but worth the results! Thank you for posting it. It was delicious!
Nadia
Margaret I'm so glad you enjoyed it and yes, the breadcrumbs are key in this recipe! Thank you for your lovely comment, much appreciated!