Authentic Italian meatballs,

Here’s a truly authentic Italian meatballs (polpette) recipe—the kind you’d find in Italian homes, not the oversized restaurant version.

Authentic Italian Meatballs (Polpette)

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 250 g (½ lb) ground beef

• 150 g (⅓ lb) ground pork
  (or veal—many Italian families mix meats)

• 1 cup day-old bread, crust removed

• Milk, enough to soak the bread

• 1 egg

• ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

• 1 small garlic clove, finely minced

• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

• Salt & black pepper, to taste

• Olive oil (for frying)

Optional (very traditional in some regions)

• A pinch of nutmeg

• Lemon zest (just a little)

Instructions

1. Soak the bread
   Tear the bread into pieces, soak in milk until soft, then squeeze out excess liquid.

2. Mix gently
   In a bowl, combine meats, soaked bread, egg, Parmigiano, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and optional nutmeg or lemon zest.
   Mix just until combined—overmixing makes them tough.

3. Shape
   Roll into small balls, about the size of a walnut. Authentic polpette are modest, not huge.

4. Cook
   Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry meatballs until deeply golden on all sides and cooked through (about 6–8 minutes).

How Italians Serve Them

• As a second course with a green salad or vegetables

• In tomato sauce (lightly simmered after frying)

• Never traditionally served on spaghetti (that’s Italian-American, not Italian)

If you want, I can:

• Share a classic tomato sauce for polpette

• Adapt this to one specific Italian region

• Give a baked version that stays authentic