Meat Loaf in Tomato Sauce

Name: Meat Loaf in Tomato Sauce (Polpettone al Sugo)
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 kg (2¼ lb) minced beef; 175 g (6 oz) breadcrumbs made from stale bread; 175 g (6 oz) breadcrumbs made from stale bread; 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 55 g (2 oz) Parmesan, freshly grated; 4 eggs; olive oil for shallow-frying; salt and pepper to taste; salt and pepper to taste; 1 onion, finely chopped; 4 tbsp olive oil; 1 garlic clove; 2 × 800 g (1¾ lb) cans peeled plum tomatoes, drained of some of their liquid; 10 fresh basil leaves, torn

Polpettone al Sugo

Preparation info

Serves
8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

An Invitation to Italian Cooking

By Antonio Carluccio

Published 1986

About

‘I distinctly remember how this dish used to satisfy our appetites when my brothers and I were young. It had two advantages: the sauce in which it was cooked provided an excellent dressing for the pasta which was served up as a first course. Then the meat loaf, cut into slices, appeared as a tasty main course.’

Ingredients

1 kg (2¼ lb) minced beef
175 g (6

Europe
Italy
Main course
Starter
Mediterranean

Method

Mix the minced meat together with the breadcrumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt and pepper, and thoroughly mix. Lightly beat the eggs and add to the meat mixture, which should now stick together. Form the mass into a large oval meat loaf. If you have difficulty shaping it, and it is falling apart, add a few more breadcrumbs to the mixture. (It is a good idea to fry a small meatball first to check th