Beef & Spinach Meatball Bites
Soft Italian-style meatballs with finely chopped spinach hidden inside, simmered in a bright tomato sauce. An iron-rich main that little hands can pick up and dip.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Soak the breadcrumbs
Put the breadcrumbs in a small bowl with the milk and let them soak for about 5 minutes until soft. This keeps the meatballs moist instead of dry and dense.
- 30 g breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp whole milk
✅ Done when: breadcrumbs are soft and have soaked up the milk
Mix and roll
In a bowl, mix the beef, spinach, egg, soaked breadcrumbs, parmesan, grated garlic and nutmeg with your hands until just combined; do not overmix or the meatballs turn tough. Roll into small bites about the size of a cherry tomato.
- 250 g beef mince
- 100 g chopped spinach
- 1 small beaten egg
- 30 g soaked breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp milk (soaked into breadcrumbs)
- 20 g parmesan
- 1 small clove grated garlic
- 1 small pinch nutmeg
✅ Done when: mixture holds together and bites are evenly shaped
Brown the meatballs
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Simmer in tomato sauce
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Finish the sauce
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Serve and store
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Soak the breadcrumbs
Put the breadcrumbs in a small bowl with the milk and let them soak for about 5 minutes until soft. This keeps the meatballs moist instead of dry and dense.
- 30 g breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp whole milk
✅ Done when: breadcrumbs are soft and have soaked up the milk
Mix and roll
In a bowl, mix the beef, spinach, egg, soaked breadcrumbs, parmesan, grated garlic and nutmeg with your hands until just combined; do not overmix or the meatballs turn tough. Roll into small bites about the size of a cherry tomato.
- 250 g beef mince
- 100 g chopped spinach
- 1 small beaten egg
- 30 g soaked breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp milk (soaked into breadcrumbs)
- 20 g parmesan
- 1 small clove grated garlic
- 1 small pinch nutmeg
✅ Done when: mixture holds together and bites are evenly shaped
Brown the meatballs
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Simmer in tomato sauce
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Finish the sauce
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Serve and store
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Small meatballs made from scraps of meat bound with soaked bread go back to Roman times, when cooks stretched a little meat a long way for the whole family. Once tomatoes became a kitchen staple in the south of Italy, polpette found their perfect partner, simmered gently in a light tomato sauce until tender.
Every Italian family has its own version, often made smaller for children, and it remains one of the great everyday dishes of the Italian table.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It's the ultimate home-cooked comfort food: soft, savoury meatballs in a sweet-sharp tomato sauce that both children and grandparents reach for.
💡 Fun Fact
Soaking bread in milk before adding it to the meat is an old Italian trick, and it's the real secret behind why homemade meatballs stay so tender.
Naples and Southern Italy
40.85°N, 14.27°E
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!