The best authentic and traditional Sicilian meatballs (prupetti) recipe is without a doubt my mom's! These meatballs are soft, moist, cheesy and not at all dry. Simmer them in a fragrant tomato sauce that you will serve tossed with pasta and enjoy the meatballs as a second course for the ultimate, perfect Sunday lunch. I'm sharing all my mom's tips for the perfect meatballs!
I am certain that for most of you of Italian origin the preparation of meatballs triggers many wonderful memories from your youth. The aroma and sounds of making meatballs brings me back to Sunday mornings as a child with my mom in the kitchen preparing the sauce for lunch. These are what we call prupetti in the Sicilian dialect or meatballs!
The bright, green scent of chopped parsley, the strong nutty aroma of freshly grated Parmigiano and Pecorino Romano cheeses, sharp garlic and the sound of the cheese grater which my mom uses to grate her day old bread into crumbs. Then there's the sizzle of tiny meatballs in the skillet frying up for us to snack on while we wait for lunch. And finally the bubbling meatballs nestled in the tomato sauce. 
Is there anything better than this?
Of course, everyone thinks that their mother's meatballs are the best. But let me explain why my mother's meatballs were and still are the best!
The Best Sicilian Meatballs:
- The best Sicilian meatballs are actually not only about the meat but about the breadcrumbs. Not just any breadcrumbs, but the freshly grated breadcrumbs from a loaf of day old Italian bread soaked in milk. These fresh breadcrumbs, as opposed to dry breadcrumbs, is what gives these meatballs their wonderful soft and moist texture.
- Why is the meat not necessarily the main even you might ask? This is quite logical when you consider that in post war Sicily meat was hard to come by and therefore stale bread was used to stretch out meatballs. In fact my mom makes meatless meatballs that, in my opinion, are just as good as these!
- But speaking about the meat, my mom always uses a combination of beef, veal and pork ground meat for a total of 500 grams of ground meat. If you can't find all three varieties, definitely use 2 varieties combined for more flavor.
- My mother's meatball recipes has quite a bit of cheese in it. You'll notice 1 ¼ cups of combined Parmigiano and Pecorino Romano cheeses in this recipe. This is not an error. You can definitely taste the cheese in these meatballs!
- Another distinguishing characteristic of most Sicilian meatballs is their shape. Instead of being perfectly round, you'll notice they are more oval shaped and are slightly flattened. I was thrilled to hear from many readers who shared that their Sicilian moms also made oval meatballs!
- The best meatballs also simmer in tomato sauce for a long time. They will definitely be done within an hour of simmering, however after 2-3 hours they will be even tastier, softer and add much more flavor to your sauce.
Baked vs Fried Meatballs
There is much debate out there as to the authenticity of baked vs fried meatballs for the Sunday sauce. Indeed, in the old days my mother browned the meatballs in a skillet before adding them to the sauce. And luckily for us, she always made a few tiny meatballs for us to snack on!
But even my mom has become more health conscious with time and now bakes the meatballs for about 15 minutes before adding them to the sauce. And they are truly just as tasty!
However, if you prefer, you may brown the meatballs in some olive oil on all sides before adding them to the sauce. The idea here is not to fully cook them but simply brown all sides therefore adding flavor.
So without further ado, let's make meatballs!
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.
Ingredient list:
For the meatballs:
- 500 grams of ground meat trio: a combination of ground beef, veal and pork. This trio of ground meat gives the meatballs lots of flavor.
- Fresh breadcrumbs from Italian day old bread: in a pinch can be replaced with white sandwich bread
- Milk: for soaking the bread in
- Eggs
- Combination of Parmigiano and Pecorino Romano cheeses: if you had to choose only one, use Pecorino Romano cheese for it's pronounced flavor
- Garlic: finely minced
- Fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
For the tomato sauce:
- Onion: finely diced
- Garlic: finely minced
- Olive oil for sautéing
- Red pepper flakes: for a little spicy kick (optional)
- Tomato paste
- Tomato passata: tomato purée
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil leaves: if available. I often freeze whole basil leaves from my garden in order to add to sauce throughout the winter months.
Step by Step Instructions
Prepare the fresh breadcrumbs:
Remove the crusts from a loaf of day old Italian bread. Tear up the crumb into small pieces with your fingers or add to a food processor and process until you have coarse crumbs.
Soak the breadcrumbs in milk: place the crumbs in a bowl, add milk and toss to coat. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl: add the ground meat; grated Parmigiano and Pecorino Romano cheeses; minced garlic; parsley; eggs; salt and pepper and olive oil. Gently squeeze most of the excess milk from the breadcrumbs and add to the bowl.
Gently combine all ingredients with your hands. Do not overly squeeze the ingedients together, you want soft meatballs not dense and tough ones
Shape the meatballs: In order to shape into 24 meatballs, divide the mixture into 4; then divide each quarter into 6 pieces. Pat each piece into an oval shape and flatten slightly. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You may shape into the traditional ball shaped meatballs if you prefer.
Bake or fry the meatballs:
To bake: place in a 400 degrees F preheated oven for 15 minutes, until lightly browned.
To fry: brown all sides of the meatballs in a skillet with a little olive oil.
Prepare the tomato sauce:
While the meatballs are baking (if you choose this method), heat olive oil in large sauce pan, add a finely diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes.
Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes (optional) and cook, stirring, 2 minutes longer. Stir in tomato paste and cook for another minute.
Add the tomato passata, then pour 2 cups of water into the jar. Swirl it around to gather all the excess sauce in the jar, then pour into the sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and basil leaves.
When the meatballs are out of the oven (or frying pan), gently nestle them in the tomato sauce. Simmer for 2 - 2 ½ hours partially covered. Adjust seasoning as needed.
How to serve this recipe
Contrary to the popular North American way of plopping meatballs on top of a bowl of spaghetti, in Italy (as well as my home) meatballs are served as a second course. The fragrant tomato sauce that the meatballs simmered in is tossed with pasta as the first course.
My mom most often serves her sauce with homemade pasta such as gnocchi; cavatelli or tagliatelle. But of course any dry commercial pasta will do as well!
We enjoy our meatballs as a second course along with a salad and/or other vegetable sides such as sautéed rapini with garlic.
Tips and suggestions:
Can meatballs be frozen?
Yes, either before or after they are simmered in the tomato sauce.
After baking them, let cool and place in a freezer safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and add to the simmering tomato sauce as directed in this recipe.
If freezing after they are added to the sauce, let cool. Pour the sauce along with the meatballs in a large freezer safe container. Let defrost overnight in the refrigerator then place in a large sauce pan to completely defrost and heat through.
What types of ground meat can be used for making meatballs?
I am partial to the combined trio of ground meats including beef, veal and pork which add lots of flavor. However, you may use only 2 varieties of ground meat if you prefer or if you don't have access to all three varieties.
Can dry breadcrumbs be used in place of fresh breadcrumbs?
Yes, but the results will simply not be the same! Fresh breadcrumbs soaked in milk offer a soft and moist texture to these meatballs which can not be replicated with dry breadcrumbs.
Can other meats be added to the sauce?
Definitely! Along with meatballs other common additions to the Sunday sauce include a few sausage links; pork ribs and perhaps even braciole.
If you give this recipe a try, please let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below. Feel free to Pin it for later. Buon appetito!
Here are more meatball recipes for you to check!
- Italian Meatless Meatballs (polpette di pane)
- Stuffed Meatballs with Mozzarella and Peas
- Zucchini Ricotta Meatballs
- Eggplant Meatballs
- Sicilian Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Pastina Soup with Tiny Meatballs
- Italian Meatball Stew with Potatoes and Peas
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 3 cups bread crumbs from day old bread
- 1 cup milk
- 500 grams combined ground veal, beef and pork
- 1 ¼ cups grated combined Parmigiano and Romano cheeses
- ½ cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pepper
For the tomato sauce:
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 jar tomato passata 720 ml
- red pepper flakes optional
- fresh basil leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the meatballs
- Place the bread crumbs in a medium sized bowl, pour milk over them and toss to combine. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl combine the ground meat, cheese, parsley, garlic, eggs, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Squeeze excess milk from the bread crumbs and add to the meat mixture. Use your hands to gently combine all the ingredients.
- Shape into 24 meatballs and place on the prepared pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
For the tomato sauce
- Meanwhile prepare the sauce. In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil on medium heat, add onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and and red pepper flakes. continue cooking for 2 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes before pouring in the tomato purée. Pour about 2 cups of water in the jar to rinse out remaining sauce and add to the sauce pan.
- Add salt and pepper, to taste and basil leaves. Bring to a simmer and nestle the baked meatballs in the sauce. Let simmer partially covered for 2-21/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- When ready to serve, transfer the meatballs to a large bowl. Boil your favorite pasta, toss with the tomato sauce and serve as a first course. Serve meatballs as a second course with tossed salad and/or side vegetable dishes.
Darcie
Good evening. I came across your recipe and would like to try them but just wondering about the bread. Do you leave it open overnight or do you just buy a loaf the day before and let it sit in the package?
Nadia
Hello Darcie, that's a great question! Usually I'll place my bread in a plastic bag to keep it fresh and soft. In this case I simply leave it in the paper bread bag that it comes in without sealing it and it dries out. You can even purchase the bread 2-3 days ahead and it will be perfect for your meatballs. Hope this helps!
Nick
Nadia,
When I searched for Sicilian meatballs, the picture for the ones you made stood out. When I saw the inside of them, I knew I found them!! These were the same as my grandpa made, no doubt!! The size, shape, color, texture, and taste were spot on, my search was now complete. Many thanks for sharing them.
Nadia
Hello Nick, I'm thrilled to hear you found my mom's meatball recipe! These Sicilian are distinct because of their oval shape and definitely have more bread inside compared to most traditional meatballs. That's what makes them so soft and moist. Hope you enjoy them!
Dianne
I have been looking for my grandfather's meatball recipe for years!!!
Not one recipe I've tried through the years had half the flavor and moistness as his.
When I found this recipe for Sicilian meatballs I gave it a try.
Thank You!!! My search has come to an end. These meatballs are so delicious and
moist I had to eat two before I added them to the sauce. Now going to check out all your recipes .
Nadia
Hello Dianne, thank you for your lovely comment! I have always loved my mom's recipe because of how soft and moist her meatballs were, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe as well!
Joy Balducci
Absolutely delicious! Perfectly moist, tender and so much flavour!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Nadia
Thank you Joy, so glad to hear you enjoyed my mom's meatball recipe. They are the best!
Concettina M. Vera
I had made sicilian sausage. Therefore I mixed beef and sausage for my meat. I did them in the oven as you instructed, and added them to my own sauce. These were very flavorful and moist. I will be using this meatball recipe from here on in.
Nadia
Hello Concettina, great idea! I'm sure they were delicious especially with your homemade sausage. I've always loved my mom's meatball recipe due to their moist and tender texture and I'm glad you agree!
Anna Bucciarelli
Hi Nadia - what can I say but wonderful meatballs ... just the way mama and papa made them, mama form Naples, papa from Calabria, and how we 5 girls and 1 boy learned from them. I came upon your recipe again as I strolled through my Italian recipe folder and don't know why it did not occur to me to ask what is meant by 'Passata' tomatoes? This is a new term for me which I am seeing more these days as I peruse recipes calling for it ... it is an unfamiliar term to me and I simply do not know what it is or means. Can you please clue me in? Also, while we don't shape our meatballs into ovals, we do flatten them - I suppose it comes from ease in turning hem over when frying - you think?
Thank you Nadia - am always grateful to you for keeping tradition alive.
Nadia
Hi Anna, yes they are wonderful, my mom's were always the best! And yes she always flattened them a little as well so that they brown evenly when frying. Passata is the Italian word for tomato purée. I purchase passata, usually from Italy, in glass jars at my local grocery store. Hope this helps and, as always, thank you for commenting!
Vicki LaValle
I have been looking for a new meatball recipe that resembles those found at Mama Santo's in Little Italy in Cleveland, Ohio. I just made these and I am happy to say these are the closest that I have had or ever made. They are so moist and tender. I think the step and tips regarding the breadcrumbs is the secret. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe. I am not Italian in any way, but I still love the food!
Nadia
Vicki, I have always found my mom's meatball recipe to be incomparable to all others because of how tender and moist they are. And I'm thrilled to hear you agree! Thank you for your lovely comment!
Susan
What kind of bread do you use?
Nadia
Hi Susan, I usually use a loaf of Italian bread such as a pagnotta as they call it in the local Italian bakeries. But any kind will do!
Anna
Lovely recipe! My Sicilian grandmother, however, never fried nor baked the meatballs - she'd put them raw into the sauce and let them braise. This is rather controversial, however, so I've learned over the years! Have you heard of this version too? (raw in the sauce)?
Nadia
Hi Anna, thank you very much! In fact just yesterday when I was preparing these with my mom she told me that my aunt would put hers raw directly in the sauce. I have never tried it myself but I imagine it works well as long as you have the sauce at a gently simmer so they don't break apart when you drop them in. Thanks for sharing this with me!
Sue DeMartino Durso
I've always made my mom's meatballs, but decided to try your recipe on Easter. Well....my family LOVED them!!! They all wanted the recipe. So I sent it to them. Looks like this will be our new 'family' meatball recipe. Thank you so much. I am also 100 percent Sicilian.
Nadia
Hi Sue, I'm thrilled to hear this! And thanks for sharing the recipe with them, I am so grateful!
Joshua
The best!
Nadia
Thanks, so glad you enjoyed them!
Bob
I thought traditional Sicilian meatballs had raisins and pine nuts. What's up with that?
Nadia
Hello Bob, there is definitely not just one Sicilian recipe for meatballs! Adding raisins and pine nuts is common. However in my family, both here and in Sicily, we have always made meatballs this way. Hope you give them a try!
Bev Cartagena
They were awesome! Thanks! As they baked I poured 1/2 c good Cab on them
Nadia
Hello Bev, I'm delighted to hear that you enjoyed my mom's meatball recipe. Love your personal touch as well! Thanks!
Michael (Michele)
Ciao Nadia,
Just from going over the recipe, I noticed exactly how my mom made them. BTW, I’m first generation from provincia Siracusa, and have been eating them all my life. Your breadcrumb mixture is what my mom used to call, ‘muddighah’, and the purpetti were always oval, a better way to hold the filling in a meatball grinder (hoagie or hero, whatever). Love your blog.
Nadia
Hello Michael, indeed that is what we call our breadcrumbs too, 'muddica'! I did always find it strange to see perfectly round meatballs when I grew up with these oval shaped ones but you're right I guess they do work much better in a hoagie! Thanks for your comment!
Myriam Barton
Why didn’t you put amounts (ie) 1 t salt 2T parsley etc.
Nadia
Hello Miriam, I offer a list of ingredients and step by step how to images and the full detailed recipe card is at the end of my post. If you wish you may skip forward to the recipe care by clicking on ‘jump to recipe’ at the top of each recipe post. Hope this helps!
Marisa
Hello, are you using the crust that you tear off as the bread crumb or the bread itself? Thank you!
Nadia
Hi Marisa, great question! I usually cut off the crusts and use just the center of the bread. However depending on the variety of bread I have on hand, if the crust is not too hard I have sometimes incorporated it as well. I usually put my bread in the food processor and pulse it a few times to make coarse crumbs. Hope this helps!
John Robert Pulvirenti
Hi Nadia, I enjoyed this meatball recipe and I added raisins and almonds. Love the name of your website. When I was born(1947) my mum was 40, Dad 50 and 3 sisters 15,17 and 20. I was “figgu beddu “
Nadia
Hello John or figghittu beddu! I too have often been called figghitta bedda by relatives! My nonna often repeated the words 'mangia bedda' when I was young cause apparently I did not want to eat back then. Things have certainly changed! I love your idea of adding raisins and almonds to meatballs, such a Sicilian thing to do. I've got to try that as well. Thanks for your comment!
Robin Manning
My great grandmother was Sicilian and I too will never make a round meatball after growing up with her oval ones.
Nadia
Hello Robin, a few other readers have also shared this with me. So I guess it's a Sicilian thing after all! Thanks for taking the time to share this with me!
Rosina M Morrone-Reeves
I love your traditional recipes! My family is from Calabria and our recipes are very very similar. "Mangia Bedda" is a phrase I heard often as well when I was younger. Mine was "Mangia Bedda, che ti fa rane" "Eat pretty one, you will get big" We also made our meatballs in an oval shape. I still do. My dear mother called them "pulpette" Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes.
Nadia
Hi Rosina, yes indeed we do have several recipes and words in our dialect that are similar. After all Calabria is not very far away! And we also say "mangia chi ti fai rani!" In our dialect the meatballs are "prupetti". Thank you for reaching out to me!
Lucy
I love that you mentioned the shape. My grandmother's pulpette were also flat and oval shaped...even moreso than your picture. They were the best meatballs...melt in your mouth. I've never tries to recreate them, but I might have to try.
Nadia
Hi Lucy, growing up this was the only meatball shape I was familiar with so I can't even fathom making perfectly round ones! And yes they are melt in your mouth thanks to the breadcrumbs of day old bread and lots of cheese. Simply the best! Thanks for your comment!
ELIZABETH
WHAT IS 450 GRAMS OF GROUND MEAT IN POUNDS?
Nadia
Hello Elizabeth, 450 grams is 1 pound. Thanks for stopping by my blog and hope you enjoy the meatballs!