Best 5 Italian Meatballs With Capers Polpettine Ai Capperi Recipes

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Indulge in the tantalizing flavors of Italian meatballs with capers, a delectable dish that captures the essence of Italian cuisine. These meatballs, known as "polpettine ai capperi" in Italian, are a symphony of savory and tangy notes, sure to tantalize your taste buds. Prepared with a blend of ground beef, pork, and veal, these meatballs are infused with a delightful combination of herbs, spices, and the briny essence of capers. Accompanying the meatballs is a rich and flavorful tomato sauce, the perfect complement to the tender and juicy meatballs. Whether you serve them as an appetizer, main course, or part of a larger spread, these Italian meatballs with capers are guaranteed to be a hit. This article provides two enticing recipes: one for the classic Italian meatballs with capers in tomato sauce, and another for a delightful variation featuring a creamy caper sauce. Both recipes are easy to follow and offer tips for achieving the perfect balance of flavors. Enhance your culinary repertoire with these delectable Italian meatballs with capers, a dish that embodies the true spirit of Italian cooking.

Let's cook with our recipes!

POLPETTINE - ITALIAN HOUSEWIFE'S MEATBALLS



Polpettine - Italian Housewife's Meatballs image

Zia Tea, my Italian aunt, used to make meat balls when she had left over meat which did mot make another meal for the family. She stuffed it in her meat grinder, ground it and then added raw ground meat. She was not wealthy in terms of money, so she had plenty of fruit, veggies and herbs from her wildly growing garden, but could not afford to buy lots of meat and especially no costly cuts of meat. My mother, studying in Rome during the late 1950s and early 1960s, used to spend her holidays with zia Tea, whose husband worked as a fisher, and they were quite poor but shared everything they had with my mother. The meat they occasionally had was cheap horses' meat and the fish mostly salted codd which lay around in the kitchen cupboard. When I was a child, zia Tea and her husband run a pet store and had some more money, but not much. No more horse meat and salted codd, but some inexpensive beef or pork cuts, thinly sliced turkey or sometimes one of the rabbits from the pet store. Stocking up the left over meat which she ground for polpettine, she used whatever was on sale at the local butcher's, so it was never exactly the same polpettine. But they were the best I ever had in my life! You can use every kind of ground meat you like and adapt the amount of garlic to your taste. She didn't use a lot so that the lemony flavor and the sage and celery were not overwhelmed.

Provided by Mia in Germany

Categories     Meat

Time 40m

Yield 6 , 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 lb ground beef
1 tablespoon lemon, peel of
1 cup breadcrumbs
salt, to taste
1/2 cup celery leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon sage, chopped
1/2 cup milk
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium potato, boiled, chopped
1 egg
oil, for frying

Steps:

  • Chop garlic, celery leaves and potato.
  • In a mixing bowl combine ground meat, bread crumbs, grated lemon peel, salt, chopped garlic, sage and celery leaves, potato, two tablespoons olive oil and the egg.
  • Knead like bread dough and slowly add some milk to make a soft dough.
  • The meat dough should be smooth and homogenous.
  • Shape into 2 inch meatballs, flatten to about 1 1/2 inch thickness and fry in olive oil until golden brown.
  • My aunt served them with a salad of cooked green beans and potatoes, seasoned with nothing but salt, pepper and savory and drizzled with olive oil.

ITALIAN MEATBALLS WITH CAPERS (POLPETTINE AI CAPPERI)



Italian Meatballs With Capers (Polpettine Ai Capperi) image

Provided by Frank J. Prial

Categories     dinner, appetizer

Time 45m

Yield Fourteen meatballs

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 pound finely ground lean veal
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup finely minced onions
1/4 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons milk
1 small egg, lightly beaten
Salt to taste, if desired
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup drained capers
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon corn, peanut or vegetable oil
1/4 cup dry white wine

Steps:

  • Put the meat in a mixing bowl.
  • Heat the butter in a saucepan and add the onions. Cook, stirring, until the onions are wilted. Set aside and let cool briefly.
  • Soak the bread crumbs in the milk and add this to the meat. Add the egg, cooked onions, salt and pepper. Add the marjoram and parsley and blend well.
  • Divide the mixture into 14 portions and flatten each. Make a slight depression in the center of each meatball. Add an equal portion of the capers in the center of each. Bring up the edges and shape into balls, enclosing the capers in the center.
  • Dredge each ball in flour and shake off excess.
  • Heat the oil in a heavy, nonstick skillet and add the meatballs without crowding. Cook, turning carefully, until the meatballs are browned on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the wine and cover closely. Let simmer 12 minutes. Serve with a little of the hot pan liquid spooned over.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 79, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 4 grams, Fat 3 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 8 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 126 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams, TransFat 0 grams

ROASTED ITALIAN MEATBALLS



Roasted Italian Meatballs image

Provided by Ina Garten

Categories     main-dish

Time 1h

Yield 10 servings (30 to 32 meatballs)

Number Of Ingredients 22

1 pound ground sirloin
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
1 3/4 cups dry seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly ground Italian Pecorino cheese (2 ounces)
1/2 cup freshly ground Italian Parmesan cheese (2 ounces), plus extra for serving
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dry red wine, such as Chianti
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 (32-ounce) jars good marinara sauce, such as Rao's
Creamy Parmesan Polenta (recipe follows) or cooked spaghetti, for serving
4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1/2 cup creme fraiche
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
  • Place the sirloin, pork, and veal in a large mixing bowl and lightly break up the meats with a fork and your fingertips. Add the bread crumbs, Pecorino, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the eggs, wine, and 3/4 cup water and combine lightly but thoroughly.
  • Measure out 2-ounce portions of the mixture (I use a rounded 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop) and roll each lightly into a ball. Place one inch apart on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with the olive oil.
  • Bake the meatballs for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Pour the marinara into a large pot and bring to a simmer. Carefully add the meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes, until heated through.
  • To serve with polenta, spoon a puddle of creamy Parmesan polenta on one side of each dinner plate. Spoon 1 or 2 meatballs plus a puddle of tomato sauce on the other side, allowing them to combine in the center of the plate. To serve with spaghetti, distribute among shallow pasta bowls. Spoon the meatballs and sauce onto the pasta. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and serve hot.
  • Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon, add the salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring almost constantly, for 10 minutes, until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while you're stirring. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, creme fraiche, and butter. Taste for seasonings and serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

ITALIAN MEATBALLS WITH CAPER TOMATO SAUCE



ITALIAN MEATBALLS WITH CAPER TOMATO SAUCE image

Categories     Appetizer

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon nonpareil capers, drained and chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher salt
1/2 cup crustless bread, torn in 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 pitted kalamata olives, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon minced parsley

Steps:

  • 1. In a blender or food processor, puree the tomatoes. In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the pureed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat, stirring, until the sauce starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Add the capers and oregano and simmer until the sauce is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, 5 minutes. Season with salt; keep warm. 2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, cover the bread with the milk. Let stand until the bread has absorbed the milk, about 5 minutes. 3. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork and beef. Add the milk-soaked bread, egg, olives, cheese, parsley and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix well with your hands and shape the mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. 4. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the meatballs and cook over moderately high heat until starting to brown, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook until browned all over and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain the meatballs and transfer to a platter. Pour the hot tomato sauce on top and serve. *Make Ahead The uncooked meatballs and the tomato sauce can be refrigerated separately for up to 2 days. Bring the meatballs to room temperature before cooking them.

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN MEATBALLS/POLPETTE



Authentic Italian Meatballs/Polpette image

My mom's friend who is Italian gave me a copy of her family cookbook that they had bound and published. It was a wedding shower gift that I treasure. As a newlywed I used this recipe a lot! I've been married 16 years and I make these with spaghetti, for meatball sandwiches, and smaller versions for appetizers to take in a crockpot to parties. Some friends think it is strange to put uncooked meatballs in the sauce, but that's what the recipe says to do. It cooks for a long time, and the meatballs keep their shape. I do not make my own spaghetti sauce. I buy two large jars of Ragu. No one seems to notice, or care!!Always a hit!!! Makes a lot and freezes well.

Provided by janwithaplan

Categories     Meat

Time 2h45m

Yield 10 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
2 eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon sweet basil
salt and pepper
spaghetti sauce, enough to cover meatballs

Steps:

  • Mix all ingredients together
  • Form about the size of golf balls
  • Make or pour tomato sauce into a deep pot Drop meat balls in sauce.
  • Simmer for at least 2 hours.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 305.8, Fat 18.8, SaturatedFat 7.2, Cholesterol 118.8, Sodium 207.2, Carbohydrate 8.4, Fiber 0.6, Sugar 0.9, Protein 24.1

Tips for Making Italian Meatballs with Capers:

  • Use a combination of ground meats. This will give the meatballs a more complex flavor and texture. Ground beef and pork are classic choices, but you can also use ground veal, chicken, or turkey.
  • Soak the bread in milk or water before adding it to the meatball mixture. This will help to keep the meatballs moist and tender.
  • Add plenty of fresh herbs and spices to the meatball mixture. This will give the meatballs a delicious, flavorful taste.
  • Don't overmix the meatball mixture. Overmixing can make the meatballs tough.
  • Cook the meatballs in a hot oven or skillet until they are golden brown on all sides. This will help to keep the meatballs moist and juicy.
  • Serve the meatballs with your favorite sauce. Marinara sauce is a classic choice, but you can also use pesto, Alfredo sauce, or even a simple tomato sauce.

Conclusion:

Italian meatballs with capers are a delicious and versatile dish that can be served as an appetizer, main course, or side dish. They are easy to make and can be customized to your own taste. Whether you like them simple or saucy, these meatballs are sure to please everyone at your table.

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