Polpettone
Tuscan Meatloaf

Prep time: 25 mins | Total time: 1 hour 10 mins | Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the decoration inside

• 1 boiled carrot, sliced lengthways in 4 pieces
• 1 lightly boiled courgette (zucchini), sliced lengthways in 4 pieces
• 1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs

For the polpettone itself

• 50 g (1 cup) breadcrumbs to coat
• 500g (1 lb) very lean, quality ground beef (or if you don’t mind extra fat, replace a third of this with good sausage meat)
• Fifth to half a nutmeg, grated (adjust quantity to taste)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup parsley, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 100 g (¹/₄ lb) Parmesan cheese
• 100 g (¹/₄ lb) ricotta cheese
• 2 boiled, mashed medium potatoes
• 3 heaped tablespoons flour
• 1 glass white wine

For the sauce

• 1 kg (2 lb) ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• Bunch basil (20 leaves)

Directions

• Mix the ingredients for the polpettone very well, using a fork.
• Roll out into a dinner plate size shape.

  

• Place the vegetables on the rolled mixture

  

• Roll up into a “Yuletide log” shape.

  

  

• If using, toast the multicereal bread, crumbed, in a little oil with a clove of garlic.
• Add plain breadcrumbs to the multicereal breadcrumbs.

  

• Roll the meatloaf in the breadcrumbs.

  

• Cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes on 200°C until well browned.
• Add the glass of white wine, baste well and return to the oven.
• Meanwhile, make a tomato sauce by cooking the tomatoes slowly with olive oil and garlic, adding basil at the end. Save some leaves for decoration.
• If you like, press the garlic through a garlic press back into the sauce. If not, discard.
• Cook the meatloaf for an additional few (around 10) minutes in the sauce. Decorate with basil leaves.

Notes

• You can serve this dish with or without the sauce, as you wish. Without the sauce, it makes great picnic food, served at room temperature.