Italian Meatloaf

5 from 1 vote

This tender Italian meatloaf, or polpettone, is made with sautéed onions, Parmesan, and Italian breadcrumbs, then baked with marinara sauce. My mom made it on school nights, and it’s still one of my favorite family dinners.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Resting time15

Total Time1 30

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 435kcal

Author: Vincent DelGiudice

Cost: $15

Equipment

1 large bowl
1 small saucepan
1 glass baking dish

Ingredients

2 lbs meatloaf mix or ground beef
1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
2 teaspoon salt
1.5 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
1.5 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
3 tablespoon milk
1 small onion
3 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup marinara sauce

Instructions

Place a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoon olive oil and sauté the onions until they're soft and have a brown edge, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the onions to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350℉. In a large bowl, combine meat, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire, Parmesan, milk, onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and egg. Mix everything until just combined.

Pro-Tip: The meatloaf mixture should feel tacky but not slimy. If it feels slimy, add more breadcrumbs; if it's too dry, add more milk. It is important not to overwork the meat. It will become dense and tough.

Shape the meat into a large ball. Oil the glass baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place the meatloaf in the dish and slowly expand it into the desired meatloaf shape. Don't go all the way to the edge, but spread it out as far as possible to shorten cooking time.
Spread marinara over the top of the meatloaf. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 1 hour or until the meat reaches 160℉.
Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

If you want a tender meatloaf, don't buy prepackaged retail meat. Being packed and pressed will result in a tough texture. It's best to get meat directly from the butcher or supermarket. It should look like it was run through a grinder and not just a block of meat.
Using cooked onions is preferred over raw. Raw onions will never get cooked just by baking and will be crunchy compared to the rest of the dish.
Be aware of the feel and texture of the mix when you combine the ingredients. All eggs and meat aren't created equally so you may need to add more milk or breadcrumbs depending on how wet the meat is. *See instructions above.
Using a marinara sauce to top the meatloaf will give it a bit of extra Italian flavor, and you can top the meatloaf after it's been cooked with more marinara.

Nutrition