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Polpettone — Cheese-Stuffed Italian Meatballs (Two Ways)
by Giacomo Bocchio
recipe medium Italian-Peruvian

Polpettone — Cheese-Stuffed Italian Meatballs (Two Ways)

Italian polpettone: cheese-stuffed meatballs from ground pork and beef with a panade (bread, milk, egg), sautéed onion-garlic, Parmesan, and nutmeg. Seared, then finished in quick tomato-basil sauce. Served over rigatoni with ricotta, or as a gratinéed sandwich.

25m Prep
35m Cook
1h Total
4 Servings
italian meatballs polpettone cheese-stuffed pasta tomato-sauce sandwich rigatoni queso-paria ricotta

Ingredients

Cheese filling
  • 80 g Queso paria (Peruvian semi-hard cheese) (crumbled)
  • 80 g Edam cheese (diced)
Meat mixture
  • 400 g Ground pork
  • 200 g Ground beef
  • 60 g Parmesan cheese (grated) (freshly grated)
  • 1 piece Onion (finely diced, sautéed)
Panade
  • 80 g White bread (crustless) (torn)
  • 60 ml Whole milk
  • 3 piece Eggs
Pasta serving
  • 320 g Rigatoni pasta (cooked al dente) optional
  • 150 g Ricotta cheese (seasoned with salt and pepper) optional
Tomato sauce
  • 400 g Canned crushed tomatoes
  • 8 leaves Fresh basil optional

Steps

  1. 1
    Make panade: blend bread, milk, and 3 eggs until smooth and creamy.
    Tip: The panade is the key to juicy, non-crumbly meatballs.
    ~5 min
  2. 2
    Sauté diced onion and garlic in olive oil until lightly golden. Cool slightly.
    ~8 min
  3. 3
    Mix ground pork and beef with cooled sofrito, Parmesan, panade, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Work well by hand until cohesive.
    Tip: Working the mixture activates proteins — no extra binders needed.
    ~5 min
  4. 4
    Prepare cheese filling: mix queso paria and Edam with olive oil. Form into small balls.
    ~5 min
  5. 5
    Portion 30g meat balls, flatten, place cheese ball in center, seal and roll smooth. Sear all over in olive oil until golden.
    Tip: Consistent 30g sizing ensures even cooking and cheese melts at the right moment.
    ~18 min
  6. 6
    Make tomato sauce: fresh olive oil, sliced garlic, canned tomatoes, basil stems. Simmer 15-20 minutes.
    Tip: Use fresh oil — the searing oil would make the sauce bitter.
    ~20 min
  7. 7
    Add seared polpettoni to sauce. Simmer 10-12 minutes until cooked through. Serve over rigatoni with ricotta, or in a gratinéed sandwich.
    Tip: Always plate meatballs in odd numbers (3 or 5) — Italian plating rule.
    ~12 min

Nutrition (per serving)

520
Calories
34g
Protein
28g
Carbs
30g
Fat
2g
Fiber
Cultural Context
Polpettone is a traditional Italian preparation. Giacomo first encountered it in São Paulo served as a large patty filled with cheese in tomato sauce. This recipe uses queso paria from Tacna, grounding the Italian technique in Peruvian ingredients.
Video thumbnail
Giacomo Bocchio
TE ENSEÑO A PREPARA POLPETTONE O ALBONDIGAS RELLENAS | GIACOMO BOCCHIO
Watch on YouTube →
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