Best-Ever Meatballs: Italian-Style Ricotta Meatballs with Simple Tomato Sauce

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the top 1/3 of the oven, about 8 inches under the broiler. Line a large baking sheet with foil for easy clean up as desired. Spray the prepared baking sheet generously with nonstick cooking spray. Gather & prep all ingredients according to the Ingredients List, above.

Step 2

Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot & shimmering, add in the yellow onion. Season with a pinch of salt & ground black pepper as desired. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened & fragrant, 5-6 minutes. Add in the garlic & cook 1-2 minutes longer, until fragrant. Transfer softened onion & garlic to a bowl & set aside. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Step 3

Meanwhile, as the onion & garlic cook, soak the breadcrumbs. Add the ricotta & panko breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine well. Set aside to soak for 10 minutes.

Step 4

Meanwhile, as the breadcrumbs soak, begin cooking the simple tomato sauce. Return the skillet used to soften the onion & garlic for the meatballs in Step 2 over medium heat. If needed, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Once the oil is hot & shimmering, add the yellow onions. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired, & stir to combine. If anything begins to brown too quickly, reduce heat to medium or medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5-6 minutes, until softened & fragrant.

Step 5

Stir the garlic & crushed red pepper flake (if using) into the skillet, cooking until just fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir the tomato paste into the skillet. As it heats, stir to coat the veggies. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until deeply red. Deglaze the skillet with the white wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that have formed at the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high. Once the wine reduces by half, add in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, & water. Stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low, maintaining a gentle simmer. Simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. If needed, cover to prevent splattering.

Step 6

Meanwhile, as the sauce simmers, continue prepping the meatballs. To the large mixing bowl with the soaked breadcrumb mixture from Step 3, add the softened onion & garlic from Step 2, eggs, grated parmesan, chopped fresh parsley, chopped fresh basil, Italian seasoning, & crushed red pepper flakes (if using) to a large mixing bowl. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt & ground black pepper, as desired. Use your hands to mix well. Once the breadcrumb mixture is combined, add in the ground pork & ground beef. Using your hands, mix just until combined – take care to avoid over-mixing.

Step 7

Gently form the mixture into meatballs slightly larger than the size of a golf ball, rolling just until smooth – take care to avoid pressing the meatballs together too compactly. For quickness & ease, I like using a 2-inch spring-loaded scoop. The mixture will yield 16-18 2-inch meatballs. Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.

Step 8

Transfer the meatballs to the oven & bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn on the oven’s broiler & broil for an additional 5-8 minutes, until a golden brown crust forms on the meatballs. Check them every so often as they broil, rotating the sheet pan as needed to broil evenly.

Step 9

Once baked & broiled, add the meatballs to the skillet with the sauce, carefully stirring to coat. Simmer 10 minutes, carefully stirring occasionally. Finish the sauce by carefully stirring in the grated parmesan, parsley, & basil. Simmer 5 minutes more, just to combine.

Step 10

Serve the meatballs immediately as desired, with pasta or in a meatball sub, etc. Enjoy!