Polpettone braised in tomato sauce (Giant veal and ricotta meatballs braised in tomato sauce) from All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking (page 331) by Molly Stevens

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

  • Eat Your Books

    You may use the Chicken stock recipe on p. 448.

  • rittingerv on August 13, 2025

    Yes, these were light and tender, but I would cut back on the breadcrumbs and add some chopped or dried herbs to the braising sauce if I made these again.

  • sfcarole on August 13, 2023

    I've made these for several dinner parties, large and small, and everyone loves them. The meatballs are so tender with all that ricotta. To make measuring easy, I weigh the total mixture first, divide that amount by the number of meatballs I'm making, and then portion out each meatball on a small plate on the scale. Each meatball is then the same size and I don't have to worry about ending up short in size or number of what I was planning. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer when braising the meatballs. The sauce picks up a lot of flavor during the braise, and it's such a simple sauce that it would be great to always have on hand in the freezer.

  • JoanN on July 17, 2019

    Even after reading [very positive COTM] reviews it was hard for me to believe how extraordinarily light and delicate these were. It might seem as though braised meatballs should be a cold-weather dish, but I wouldn’t hesitate to make these again in late spring or early fall. These are going to be a real treat to have in the freezer. Just fyi, I ended up with 10 meatballs instead of 12 although I used a heaping 1/3 cup measure as directed. Didn’t seem to matter, though, as far as timing was concerned. Delicious, indeed.

  • bching on December 30, 2018

    So delicious and tender. I'm sorry that there are not more leftovers but very happy that everyone at dinner liked these so much!

  • chawkins on September 02, 2014

    Very good. Tender veal, ricotta and Parmesan balls braised in a light tomato sauce. I used tomato juice from processing home grown tomatoes thru the KA vegetable strainer attachment.

  • Bloominanglophile on February 09, 2013

    This is a fabulous recipe! I used 2 lbs. ground veal and increased the other meatball ingredients accordingly. There was enough sauce to braise the additional meatballs. I would cook them at least the maximum time of 45 minutes (perhaps a bit more).

  • anniemac on March 18, 2012

    I think these are exceptional; the combination of the veal meatball and the light sauce is really special.

  • Breadcrumbs on February 28, 2011

    p. 331 -This recipe did not disappoint. The meatballs are super-tender, light and subtly flavoured. Likewise the tomato juice/chicken stock sauce is also light and, gently infused w onion and garlic w a hint of sweetness from the celery. If I were to change anything in the future, I would add some more garlic to the sauce and put a little in the meatballs as well but that’s just for our tastes. So glad we gave this a try and, can’t wait to explore this book further. K8.5

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