Bread Meatballs

Name: Bread Meatballs
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 15
Ingredients: Stale bread 1.1 lbs; Whole milk 1 cup; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese to grate 1.8 oz; Eggs medium 1; Garlic 1 clove; Parsley to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Eggs medium 1; Fine salt to taste; Breadcrumbs to taste; Sunflower seed oil to taste

it es fr de br

Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Makes: 15 pieces
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Diletta Secco

Polpette di pane are, you know, a real staple in Southern Italian kitchens, turning day-old bread into something way more exciting. This old-school dish comes straight from the tradition of making the most out of what you have—Italian nonnas have been saving and soaking stale bread in milk for ages. Then mixing it with cheese, parsley, and eggs to form these tender little balls. Once fried, they come out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, just the way everyone likes. Really, they're super tasty. Folks call these Italian bread balls, and they’re a great example of how simple ingredients, a bit of patience, and some kitchen wisdom come together for a snack that’s both comforting and practical. Some regions have their own twists—adding different cheeses or herbs—but the spirit stays the same: nothing gets wasted, and everything tastes really really good.

Whether it’s a family gathering or just a casual snack, you’ll often see these bread dumplings next to other clever Southern Italian eats like pallotte cacio e ova or gnocchi di pane raffermo. People love to dip them in tomato sauce. Or even eat them plain because the inside is moist and full of flavor from the cheese and parsley. Pretty simple. What’s cool is how these meatless meatballs fit into the bigger picture of Italian cooking, where doing a lot with leftovers isn’t just smart—it's part of the food culture. Even today, a good polpette di pane recipe gets passed down through families, reminding everyone not to toss out golden bread that’s past its prime. Seriously good stuff. If you're exploring new traditional Italian recipes or just seeking a simple way to use up extra bread, these tangy, cheesy balls really deliver on taste and tradition. In the end, it’s the mix of being thrifty and making something really delicious that keeps this dish on the table, year after year. And look, they're a sign of the resourcefulness and creativity that defines Southern Italian cuisine, celebrating both flavor and the art of not letting anything go to waste.

INGREDIENTS

For about 15 meatballs: Stale bread 1.1 lbs (500 g); Whole milk 1 cup (250 g); Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.8 oz (50 g) - to grate; Eggs 1 - medium; Garlic 1 clove; Parsley to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

For breading and frying: Eggs 1 - medium; Fine salt to taste; Breadcrumbs to taste; Sunflower seed oil to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Bread Meatballs

To make the bread meatballs, first remove the crust from the stale bread 1, then cut the crumb into cubes 2. Transfer the bread to a bowl and pour the milk over it 3.

Press with your hands or a spoon to ensure all the cubes are soaked in milk 4, then let them rest for 5 minutes. After this time, add an egg 5 and the grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP 6.

Also add the chopped parsley 7 and the crushed garlic clove 8, then drizzle a little olive oil 9.

Salt 10, pepper, and mix the mixture with your hands or a spoon 11. At this point, form balls weighing about 1.2 oz each and place them on a tray 12; with these amounts, you should get about 15.

Proceed to breading: dip each meatball in the egg, which you have previously beaten with a pinch of salt 13, then coat it with breadcrumbs 14. Continue this way to bread all the meatballs 15.

Heat the seed oil to a temperature of 340°F, then fry a few meatballs at a time for 2-3 minutes. When they are evenly golden, drain and transfer to paper towels 17. Your bread meatballs are ready to be served hot and crispy, accompanied by a sauce of your choice 18!

Storage

It is recommended to consume bread meatballs immediately. Alternatively, you can store them in the refrigerator for 2 days in an airtight container.

If you wish to prepare them the day before, you can store the raw and breaded meatballs in the refrigerator for one day.

Freezing is not recommended unless they are made smaller.

Advice

You can stuff the bread meatballs with diced speck, ham, or provola, for example!

If you prefer to avoid frying, you can cook the meatballs in tomato sauce or bake them in a fan oven at 390°F for about 15-20 minutes.

Don't throw away the crust of the dry bread: you can blend it to make breadcrumbs or reduce it to cubes and toast it in a pan with some herbs to flavor a pasta dish!

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.