In praise of polpette, Italy’s infinitely adaptable little balls
From bread and ricotta to vegetables and fish, there’s no single recipe for these beloved ‘meatballs’ – just your own way of making them
While the Italian word polpette is generally translated as “meatballs”, it actually has a much broader definition than that. In fact, the literal translation is “little balls of polpa”, or pulp. And, yes, the word polpa is strongly associated with minced meat, so, for many people, the word polpette conjures up round or torpedo-shaped morsels of minced and seasoned meat fried or simmered in sauce. But polpa can also refer to an infinite range of pulps and mixtures of pulps made from vegetables, pulses, fruit, bread, cheese or fish, all of which can be shaped into balls, wonderful balls.
Whatever the pulp base, one thing is generally agreed on: once formed, let those balls rest for at least 30 minutes (and up to a few hours), so they firm up and are therefore easier to poach, simmer, fry, air-fry and so on. Beyond resting, however, freedom reigns: the type of pulp, the inclusion of bread, or eggs, or herbs, or seasonings …
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