Cold summer meatloaf with vegetables and tomato salsa

Polpettone freddo con verdure. This is a really nice summery dish and would be perfect for a picnic. When I cooked it, I couldn’t find minced veal so I used 50/50 pork and beef with good results. Serves 4 hungry people as a main course. It could be used as an antipasto too.

Summer meatloaf ingredients

• 200g minced veal
• 200g minced beef
• 150g minced pork
• 200g ricotta
• 2 eggs
• 50g grana padano, grated
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 sprig of marjoram (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• 1 carrot
• 150g french beans
• 100g frozen peas
• 3 large vine tomatoes (or 200g tinned chopped tomatoes, drained)
• 10 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt & Pepper

1. Wash and top and tail the beans. Peel the carrot and chop into batons. Parboil the veg in salted water for 3-4 minutes.
2. Mix together the meat, the eggs, half the clove of garlic (finely chopped), the marjoram, the ricotta and the grana. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Lay a piece of grease proof paper flat on the work surface. Spread the meat mixture out so that you get a rectangle about 2cm deep.
4. Arrange the vegetables on top and, using the paper to help, roll up to form a meatloaf (like you would for a swiss roll). Press together firmly and make sure the ends are closed.


Summer meatloaf ready to cook

5. Transfer to a baking tin, cover with foil and bake at 200°C for an hour. Remove the foil 15 minutes before the end of cooking to allow the loaf to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
6. Make the salsa by deseeding and chopping the tomatoes with the basil and the other 1/2 clove of garlic. Stir in the oil and season with salt and pepper.
7. When ready to serve, slice the meatloaf into 1-2cm rounds and spoon a little of the salsa onto each slice

Summer meatloaf with salsa