Polpette (meatballs)

 

Ingredients: 

1 Garlic clove

500 gr ground Beef

mortadella or ham steak 

nutmeg

fennel

250 gr stale bread 

80 gr Parmesan grated 

Sausage

Eggs

Pepper 

Parsley

salt

oil 

Place the pieces of bread in the mixer so to obtain breadcrumbs. In a large bowl place the raw meat, the sausage in pieces, the minced parsley and mortadella. Add the nutmeg, the fennel, salt and pepper, the parmesan, the minced garlic clove and the beaten eggs. Mix very well until you have a soft and yet thick texture. Now add the breadcrumbs as the last step and mix well. Then take some of the mixture and form a small oval-shaped ball and pass each meatball in the breadcrumbs. In the meantime, heat some oil in a pan and fry the meatballs until brown. Drain the excess oil with a paper towel and serve. 

Pan Cotto

It originally comes from Tuscany as a recipe but it now belongs to Piemonte and Lombardy in particular. 

 

Ingredients: 

200 gr Stale bread, cut in nut-like pieces

2 garlic clove 

broth 

Grated Parmesan

salt 

pepper

Consider 2 full glasses of broth for each 100 gr of bread. In a skillet, brown the garlic cloves. Once brown, add the broth as indicated and add salt, without boiling. Pour the bread and start to blend so that the bread absorbs all the broth. Take off the heat once it is almost all absorbed and keep stirring. Add Parmesan. 

Pappa al Pomodoro

 

Ingredients: 

300 gr Stale bread (whole or sliced)

800 gr tomatoes 

1 litre vegetable broth

2 cloves garlic

Basil

Pinch of sugar

Slice the bread, then toast it. Rub the garlic on each slice. Toss for a minute the tomatoes in hot water, then drain them and peel them, and mix them with an electric mixer to a smooth texture. Place the bread slices in a nonstick skillet. Pour the sauce previously prepared on the bread and broth to cover them completely, add salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar and cook at low heat for 40-50 minutes or until the bread absorbs all the liquid. 

Written by: Elisa della Barba