Slow cooking over low heat all day is the key to maximum flavor. (You can cheat with a pressure cooker or slow cooker)
Healthy Challenge: Maximize flavor without Ground Beef and Pork for the meatballs. I substituted Ground Turkey, lots of garlic and lots of fresh herbs including Thyme. I did use Italian Pork Sausages by request of my family, but you could use Italian style chicken sausages instead.
Vegan? You could also sub with Tempeh/Walnut Balls for the Ground Meat Version for a vegan treat. You will also need nutritional yeast and cashew for the parmesan substitute.
Polpette - Meatballs
2 cups - Stale Bread Chunks - (Cut in 1x1cm cubes, leave exposed to air for 2 hours)
3/4 cup Almond or Soy Milk -(Soak Bread Chunks in Milk prior to adding remaining ingredients)
1 lb Ground Turkey
1 egg
1/2 of Herb Blend (See Below)
1 TSP Sea Salt
1/2 Fresh ground pepper.
Fresh Herb Blend
Blend in Food Processor until finely chopped. Use 1/2 for Meatballs and 1/2 for Sugo.
1/2 Onion
6 cloves roasted garlic
6 cloves raw garlic
1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley
1 TBSP Fresh Oregano
1 TBSP Fresh Thyme
1/2 Cup Fresh Basil
2/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese.
Sugo
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1/2 of Fresh Herb Blend (See above)
2 Medium Carrots (Finely Chopped or Food Processor to Fine texture)
2 Medium Celery (Finely Chopped or Food Processor to Fine texture)
1/4 Cup of Vodka
2 Box Chopped Tomatoes
1 Box Strained Tomatoes
Salsiccia
3 Sausages - Roasted with 1/2 Onion.
Saute Sugo ingredients until translucent ( 1/4 vodka or red wine optional)
pour in chopped and strained tomatoes and stir until well blended.
Put roasted sausages in bottom of sauce pot.
Make Polpette by hand mixing ingredients together and forming golf ball sized meatballs.
Put into the sugo to cook at low/warm for 2-3 hours.
Right before serving, cut sausage links and return to sauce.
Serve over fresh pasta or polenta.
Garnish with Chopped Fresh Parsley/Basil .
