Home

Genoese meatloaf

17/11/2023

The Genoese meatloaf is a traditional dish from the Ligurian cuisine, also known as “lean meatloaf” as it’s often prepared without meat. Here I will provide the classic recipe, which includes meat, along with those typical vegetables and the aroma that distinguish the Genoese variant.

Ingredients

  • 500 g of ground meat (veal or a mix with pork)
  • 1 egg
  • 70 g of grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, cut into small cubes
  • 2 zucchinis, cut into small cubes
  • 1 potato, cut into small cubes
  • 1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Butter (for greasing the pan)

Preparation

  1. In a large pan, sauté the finely chopped onion with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil until it becomes translucent.

  2. Add the diced carrots, zucchinis, and potato and cook for about 10-15 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Let everything cool down.

  3. In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, egg, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Add the cooled vegetable sauté to the meat mixture and blend all the ingredients well.

  4. Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C.

  5. Grease a baking dish with a bit of butter and shape the meat mixture into an elongated meatloaf, then place it on the dish.

  6. Bake and cook the Genoese meatloaf for about 50-60 minutes or until the surface is well-browned. During cooking, you can moisten the meatloaf with some vegetable broth or water to keep it soft.

  7. Once cooked, let it rest for a few minutes before slicing. Ideally serve with baked potatoes or fresh salad.

Curiosity

In keeping with Ligurian tradition, this type of meatloaf can be enriched with pine nuts, or Taggiasca olives to give it an even more typical taste of the region. Some variations include the addition of Swiss chard or spinach previously sautéed in a pan.

Genoese meatloaf