Italian · Dinner
Italian Tuna Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Polpette di Tonno in Salsa di Pomodoro
Italian tuna meatballs bound with breadcrumbs, parmigiano, parsley, and lemon zest, shaped, lightly browned, then simmered in a fresh tomato-basil sauce until tender, served with crusty bread to soak the rich red gravy.
$
20 minsPrep
25 minsCook
45 minsTotal
MediumLevel
Nutrition per serving
624Calories
38gProtein
32gFat
48gCarbs
5gSugar
3gFiber
892mgSodium
78mgChol
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Instructions
1
Prep
Drain and flake 400g tinned tuna. Mix tuna with 80g breadcrumbs, 40g grated Parmigiano Reggiano, 2 beaten eggs, 1 minced garlic clove, 4 tbsp chopped parsley, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp olive oil until cohesive. Form into 16 meatballs (35g each). Finely chop 120g onion and slice 1 garlic clove.
2
Saute
Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sliced garlic, cook 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Pour in 600g passata, salt, caster sugar, and 8 basil leaves. Simmer 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and raw tomato edge fades.
3
Sear
Transfer sauce to a bowl. Wipe pan clean, heat 4 tbsp olive oil over medium-high for 1 minute. Add meatballs in a single layer, brown 5 minutes total, turning to colour all sides lightly golden but not cooked through. Work in batches if needed to avoid crowding.
4
Simmer
Return tomato sauce to the pan around meatballs. Cover loosely and simmer 12 minutes, gently turning meatballs once halfway through, until cooked through and tender. Tear remaining 4 basil leaves over the pan off the heat.
5
Plate
Arrange meatballs in warm shallow bowls, spoon sauce around them, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve with 120g crusty toasted bread alongside.
Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.
Serves
2 portions ·
2 adults, 0 over 10, 0 under 10
Ingredients
- 400g (14.1 oz / 2 cans) tinned tuna in olive oil
- 80g (2.8 oz) coarse breadcrumbs
- 40g (1.4 oz) Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 medium eggs
- 4 garlic cloves
- 4 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 90ml (6 tbsp) olive oil
- 600g (21.2 oz) tomato passata
- 120g (4.2 oz) yellow onion
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 12 fresh basil leaves
- 0.5 tsp caster sugar
- 120g (4.2 oz) crusty bread
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil