Hi everybody!

For this Sunday, some Italian tradition even here in Hawaii: Polpette al Sugo. For you Meatballs in Tomato Sauce.

As everybody in the world, we are facing this sad pandemic due to Coronavirus, so we have time to cook fresh meals and with longer preparation.

I chose this recipe for me and my husband:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/oct/18/meatball-recipe-rachel-roddy-a-kitchen-in-rome

Serves 3-4
2 slices of day-old bread (about 50g), crusts removed
A little milk
500g minced beef
2 eggs, lightly beaten
A small garlic clove
A sprig of parsley
Salt and black pepper

For the sauce
750g ripe, fresh tomatoes
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1–2 garlic cloves, peeled or crushed
A pinch of red chilli flakes (optional)
A tin of peeled plum tomatoes, chopped roughly in the tin
1 tbsp tomato puree (optional)
Salt

1 Rip the bread and soak in a little milk until soft, and easily crumbled. Squeeze out excess milk. Put the crumbs in a large bowl along with the beef and lightly beaten eggs.

2 Peel and chop the garlic very finely along with the parsley, salt and pepper. Add to the meat, then use your hands to mix everything together.

3 Divide the mixture into 12 meatballs: if the mixture is very sticky, flour your hands lightly. Let the meatballs rest.

4 Meanwhile, make the sauce. Peel the fresh tomatoes by plunging them first in boiling water, then in cold, at which point the skins should slip off. Then chop them roughly.

5 Peel the garlic and crush for a milder flavour or finely chop for stronger. Put 4 tbsp of the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan or cassarole and cook the garlic gently over a low heat until it is fragrant. At this point you can remove the whole garlic if you wish.

6 Add the chopped tomatoes and chilli. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the final 2 tbsp oil and the tinned tomatoes. Add 1 tbsp tomato puree if you feel it needs it. Cook for 20–40 minutes, or until the sauce is rich and thick.

7 Drop the meatballs in the sauce, making sure they are submerged. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan and poach for 15 minutes, by which time the meatballs should be cooked through but still tender.

I thinik this is a good recipe and well explained.

My few changes as you can see from the picture:

• only onion, no garlic
• milk replaced from two more eggs
• breadcrumbs instead of old bread
• instead of salt, i use crushed red pepper
• for the tomato sauce, i use the classic soup starter ingredients: carrots, celery, onions
• after adding the meatballs in the tomato sauce, i put some whole rosemary to add a touch of « perfum » i say..

In this special period, every doctor is suggesting us to help our body to be at its best shape, so i am adding CHIA SEEDS at any recipe that allows this new ingredient. I added it during the preparation of the meatballs. Nobody noticed a change of flavor and i am happy cause i could share all this important elements to our nutrition:

• Chia seeds are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, iron, and calcium.
• A 28-gram, or 1-ounce, serving of chia seeds also contains 5.6 grams of protein.
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/291334

Hope you enjoyed my suggestions, can’t wait to see your polpette! 🙂