Liars' meatballs (bread meatballs)

This is for the good liars (who make our lives more interesting).

Only a good liar can pull off this magic trick. Make old bread taste like a well-though, fulfilling, and good-looking Italian dish.

I am happy to share with you my people's recipe to lie and never get caught.

Liars' meatballs - Bread meatballs

Why do we make bread meatballs? Everyone in Italy, there is a similar recipe: bread, crumbs, parsley, garlic, sometimes cheese and eggs.

In my region (Basilicata), we call them for what they represent: a lie. When humble people would invite someone to impress for dinner, and they couldn't get any meat, they would make bread balls. Garlic and parsley were commonly used to cook meat, so adding those two would mask the absence of the main ingredient. The tomato sauce would do the rest, making the meal taste just like the original one.

Tomato sauce

INGREDIENTS:

This recipe makes about 4 servings of plat-based meatballs and takes around 40 minutes. Want to learn how to make more Italian food? Check our workshops!

Wanna make it spicy? Try them with the Puttanesca Sauce.

• 300 g stale bread (also gluten free)

• 200 ml plant-based milk (unsweetened)

• 2 spoons nutritional yeast

• 2 spoons chickpea flour • 1 clove of garlic

• some fresh parsley

• salt and pepper to taste

• breadcrumbs (as needed)

• olive oil (for cooking)

• Gluten Free > 200 g cornsharch (maizena) or rice flour

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 500 ml tomato passata

• 1 clove of garlic

• 2 spoons olive oil

• salt to taste

THE RECIPE:

1. Soften the bread Cut the stale bread into chunks and place it in a bowl. Pour over the plant-based milk (and some water if needed) and let it soak for a few minutes until soft. Make sure the bread chunks are fully covered by the liquid.
   

2. Prepare the mixture Squeeze out any excess liquid from the bread and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Add nutritional yeast, chickpea flour, minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix everything well until you get a soft but workable dough. If it’s too wet, add some breadcrumbs. Use cornstarch (maizena) or rice flour for the GF version.
   

3. Make the meatballs Take small portions of the mixture and shape them into balls using your hands. If needed, roll them lightly in breadcrumbs (or your GF flour) to firm them up. If you struggle rolling the balls, make your hands wet with water or olive oil. It will help the process. If the meatballs are too soft, check the Macchè tip at the bottom of the recipe.
   

4. Cook the meatballs Heat some olive oil in a pan and cook the meatballs for a few minutes, turning them gently until golden on all sides.
   

5. Prepare the sauce In the same pan, heat olive oil and sauté the garlic (just peel it and leave it whole) until golden. Add the tomato passata, a pinch of salt, and half glass of water. Then let it simmer for about 10–15 minutes.
   

6. Together is better Add the meatballs to the sauce and let them cook together for another 10 minutes, so they absorb all the flavor. Serve warm, optionally with fresh herbs or a drizzle of olive oil.

MACCHÈ TIPS:

Sometimes, bread meatballs can be soggy and it can be difficult to hold them together. Shape them the best you can, then put them in the oven on cooking paper for about 10 minutes at 80/100° (fan on). They will loose some moist before you cook them in the pan.

Matera, Basilicata