Creamy Italian meatballs (polpette al baffo) – a playful twist on the beloved dish ”Penne al baffo”. The name says it all: these meatballs are so good, you might just find yourself licking your moustache. Juicy meatballs (or Italian sausage, if you prefer) are nestled in a creamy tomato sauce, making this the perfect quick and comforting family dinner on a busy workday.
Tonight’s easy dinner is a cheeky little twist on anItalian classic: ”Penne al baffo”, which gained popularity in the 70thies and 80ties. At heart, it’s a love letter to modern Italian home cooking – comforting, and gloriously tasty. Picture this: a silky tomato sauce swirled with cream (yes, unacceptable to some Italians, but trust me, it works), wrapped around juicy homemade meatballs – baked or fried, take your pick. It’s basically happiness on a plate.
The name ”Penne al baffo” likely comes from the phrase ”da leccarsi i baffi”, meaning “to lick one’s moustache.” The idea is that the pasta’s so good you’ll be wiping sauce off your top lip – or licking it off if you’re bold enough. My version swaps the penne pasta for meatballs lounging in that dreamy sauce combination. The result? A dish so good you’ll be moustache-licking in record time.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Ground meat – or Italian sausage
- Egg
- Stale bread – breadcrumbs can be used, but stale bread soaked in water gives the meatballs their juiciness.
- Parmesan – best to use freshly grated parmesan
- Water – or milk for soaking stale bread
- Parsley – finely chopped – for both meatballs and sauce
- Tomato sauce – for sauce – use any type of Pasta tomato sauce you like (like Barilla’s)
- Cooking cream – a liquid cooking cream like half and half, whipping cream
- Onion – for sauce
- Olive oil – for sauce
- Sea salt to taste and breadcrumbs for the meatballs
How to cook Italian Meatballs?
1st: Prepare the meatballs by combining stale bread (previously soaked and crumbled), ground meat, parsley, salt and parmesan. Cover meatballs in breadcrumbs and bake/fry.
2nd: In a sauce pan, prepare the sauce by sautéing onion in olive oil. Then add in the tomato sauce and thicken it with the cream. If using bacon, sauté it with the onion.
3rd: Sprinkle with fresh parsley and some salt. Combine with meatballs, let sit side for 10 minutes, so meatballs soak well in the sauce and serve.
What to serve with Italian creamy Meatballs?
A few delicious side meal suggestions:
Polpette al baffo (Italian creamy meatballs)
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 400 g ground meat, mix of beef & pork
- 1 medium egg
- 4 tbsp. parmesan, finely shredded
- 2 slices stale bread, approx. (70g)
- 1 cup water, or milk for soaking bread
- 1 tbsp. parsley, minced
- salt to taste
- breadcrumbs for rolling meatballs in
Sauce
- 400 g tomato sauce, for pasta
- 100 ml liquid cream, for cooking
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. parsley, minced
- sea salt to taste
- 100 g bacon, optional
Instructions
- First, place stale bread in a small mixing bowl and cover with water. Let sit for a few minutes until bread softens. Squeeze out all the water and crumble the bread.
- Then, in a large mixing bowl combine ground meat, egg, parmesan, crumbled bread, parsley and salt. Mix well and shape meatballs with slightly wet hands.
- Next, roll each meatball into breadcrumbs on all sides. Arrange onto baking dish and bake in preheated oven (180C/360F) for 15-20 minutes or until cooked.
- In the meantime, in a large sauce pan with lid, sauté (on low heat) minced onion in some olive oil. Add in bacon if using any.
- Then, add in the tomato sauce and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the liquid cream and parsley and season with salt. Let simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
- Finally, add the baked meatballs to the sauce, move from stove top and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- water for soaking bread can be replaced with milk
- bacon in cubes can be added to the sauce
- parsley: fresh or frozen parsley can be used
- parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano) : can be replaced by Grana Padano cheese
Nutrition
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An excellent dinner recipe for those busy workdays.
An amazing Italian classic that Nona used to make.