The One Big Difference Between American And Italian Meatloaf

While you might think meatloaf is an American classic, it's also a classic across Europe. In fact, the American recipe was adapted from an earlier meatloaf recipe brought by German or Eastern European settlers. Italian meatloaf is another prized version that might just be as big a crowd-pleaser as its American cousin. The two types of meatloaf have similar ingredients with one big difference.

The main distinguishing factor between Italian meatloaf and American meatloaf lies in the saucy topping. While tomatoes are the foundation for both, Italian meatloaf is topped with a classic marinara sauce while American meatloaf calls for a ketchup glaze. The term for Italian meatloaf is polpettone, which literally translates to "giant meatball;" a traditional Italian meatball is called a polpette. And since polpette are often served swimming in a pool of fresh tomato sauce, it's fitting that Italian meatloaf is likewise smothered in it. Some recipes use store-bought marinara sauce (like this one from Carbone), while others make tomato sauce from scratch by spiking a can of pureed tomatoes with oregano parsley, salt, and extra virgin olive oil.

American meatloaf, like this classic recipe, uses good old-fashioned ketchup both in the meat mixture and as a topping. The ketchup brings an especially sweet profile to complement the savory meat and veggies mixed into the loaf itself. This is in contrast to the more savory, tangy, and earthy profile of a marinara-baked Italian meatloaf.

While the use of ketchup and marinara sauce is the biggest difference between American and Italian meatloaf, there are even more differences in ingredients as well as accompaniments. While both types of meatloaf contain bread and veggies blended into the ground meat foundation, different vegetables, bread, and even ground meat are used in each recipe. 

American meatloaf tends to stick to ground beef in the classic recipe, while Italian meatloaf is often a mixture of pork and beef, or pork and veal, similar to the makeup of a meatball. Furthermore, Italian meatballs contain popular Italian herbs like oregano and or this Happy Belly Italian seasoning blend whereas American meatloaf keeps things simple with basic salt and pepper seasoning sometimes with a dash of rosemary. Some recipes stuff the meatloaf with provolone, spinach, and even hard-boiled eggs. Other recipes top Italian meatloaf with mozzarella, giving veal parmesan vibes.

Accompaniments can also steer meatloaf in a more Italian direction. While you might serve American meatloaf with these creamy mashed potatoes and simple steamed veggies, Italian accompaniments could include this spaghetti aglio e olio or this recipe for creamy polenta. You can also stray from the classic Italian meatloaf recipe by incorporating other popular Italian sauces into the meaty mixture. For example, pesto is an unexpected ingredient that needs to be in your meatloaf to instantly elevate it to brighter, herbaceous heights.