ricotta meatballs

These Italian-style meatballs are seriously rich &amp; flavorful thanks to the perfect combination of ground beef + pork &amp; a generous amount of fresh aromatics, like onion, garlic, &amp; fresh basil. Soaking the breadcrumbs in ricotta cheese creates the best light &amp; meltingly tender texture. The ricotta meatballs bake, broil, &amp; simmer in a simple, delicious tomato sauce, making them both golden-brown &amp; perfectly tender all at once.
Enjoy them over a bowl of fresh pasta, as a holiday appetizer, or tucked in a meatball sub, these ricotta meatballs are endlessly versatile &amp; absolutely perfect every single time. An instant classic! 

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

beef (see Recipe Notes)

pork (see Recipe Notes)

nonstick cooking spray

olive oil

medium yellow onion, diced

garlic,

whole milk ricotta (approx. 3/4 cup)

panko breadcrumbs

eggs

parsley

basil

Italian seasoning

red pepper flakes

salt black pepper, to season

olive oil,

medium yellow onions, diced

cup tomato paste

dry white wine

(one) 28-ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes

(one) 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

water

cup grated parmesan

Prep

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 &amp; prep all ingredients according to the Ingredients List, above.

Soften onion &amp; garlic for the meatballs

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

Soak the breadcrumbs

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

Cook aromatics for the simple tomato sauce

Meanwhile, as the breadcrumbs soak, begin cooking the simple tomato sauce. Return the skillet used to soften the onion &amp; 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 &amp; shimmering, add the yellow onions. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt &amp; ground black pepper as desired, &amp; 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 &amp; fragrant.

Build &amp; simmer the tomato sauce

Stir the garlic &amp; 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, &amp; 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.

Mix the meatballs: 

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

Form the meatballs: 

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 &amp; 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.

Bake the meatballs

Transfer the meatballs to the oven &amp; bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn on the oven&#8217;s broiler &amp; 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.

Simmer the meatballs

Once baked &amp; 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, &amp; basil. Simmer 5 minutes more, just to combine.

Serve the meatballs: 

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

These meatballs are incredible! I normally make meatballs the way my mother taught me (she is born of/from Italy) and I honestly love this recipe more. They have amazing flavor, hold together nicely and don’t dry out. The sauce is great as well. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!

These meatballs felt like a labor of love. They were so worth it!! So flavorful, so good! I served them with a side gnocchi. Delicious!

Delicious ! Made these meatballs and made sliders with them using Hawaiian Sweet Rolls..perfect with the leftover soup we had. I was lazy so I used a jar of Rao’s Marinara Sauce.  Will make pasta for the leftover meatballs &amp; sauce. 
This is a “will make again” recipe 👌

I made this recipe for my in-laws over the holidays and it was a huge hit! I then sent the recipe to my family and my whole family said that these were some of the best meatballs that they had ever made. 

You can't go wrong with this recipe. I recently made a large batch and froze these so that I have delicious meatballs on hand whenever I need a quick meal.

These were delicious! I made them a month ago and froze them and just heated them up for dinner tonight. They will absolutely be my go to meatball recipe now

I am making the meatballs for a party.  Of course my husband and I had to sample some, they are delicious. I used organic meat ( beef n turkey) and the beef sometimes can be gamey, so I actually doubled the amount of ricotta.  Baking the meatballs is the way to go. Thanks debra

Ricotta meatballs swimming in a classic arrabbiata sauce made with the finest San Marzano tomatoes and a sprinkle of fontina cheese melted under the broiler.

Ricotta Meatballs Recipe

lb ground chuck ((organic grass fed))

ricotta cheese

oregano

tsp black pepper (freshly ground)

garlic (grated)

tbsp grated onion

tsp baking soda

egg (large)

bread crumbs (plain gluten free)

Italian parsley (chopped)

this Arrabiata sauce

lb Fontina cheese (shredded)

Prepare the arrabiata sauce in advance according to the recipe.

In a large mixing bowl combine the ground chuck, ricotta cheese, oregano, parsley, sea salt, garlic, onion, baking soda, bread crumbs and egg. Use your hand and mix well until everything is combined.

Pour a little olive oil in the palm of your hands and form 21 meatballs, the size of golf balls.

Meanwhile bring the arrabiata sauce to a simmer and drop the meatballs in the simmering sauce. Cover with a tight lid and cook on low flame for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Remove the lid and sprinkle the meatballs over the top with the fontina cheese.

Preheat your broiler and broil the meatball bake for a few minutes until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve on top of mashed potatoes.

Broiler Method:

Preheat your oven to 350"F.

Follow all the above steps and after you sprinkle the meatballs with the cheese you loosely cover the pan with some aluminum foil. Bake for about 10 t0 15 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Oven Method:

These Ricotta Meatballs are easy to make on the stove top, bake in the oven, or cook in the Crock Pot! They are so flavorful and are perfect with pasta, in a sub, or with a side salad!

Ricotta Meatballs

marinara sauce

olive oil (divided)

Ricotta cheese

garlic

yellow onion (finely diced)

garlic (minced)

Egg (whisked)

½ cup half and half (can sub cream)

breadcrumbs

Parmesan cheese

parsley (plus more to garnish)

mustard powder

Salt

Pepper

lb. ground chuck (80% lean)

pork sausage

Combine the Herb Ricotta mixture and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet and add the finely diced onion. Soften for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Set aside and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the egg, half and half, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, and ¾ cup of the herb Ricotta mixture. Add the cooled onions/garlic.

Season the meat with salt and pepper, add it to the large bowl and gently mix it with your hands until well-combined. (Don’t overwork the meat or it will become tough.)

Roll into 1 ½-inch meatballs and transfer them to the fridge for 15 minutes.

Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use enough oil to cover the meatballs almost halfway.

Brown the meatballs in batches, leave plenty of room around each so that you can easily rotate them without having to pick them up to flip them. Brown for about 1 ½ minutes per side. Use kitchen tongs to remove and set aside.

Remove excess oil from the skillet and add 32 oz. of marinara sauce. The sauce will thicken and reduce during cooking so I recommend that you add about ¼+ cup water as well so that the sauce doesn’t get too thick. You can do this now or later as you judge the consistency. (The ricotta topping thickens it more as well.)

Add the meatballs to the skillet and spoon the sauce on top. Cook for 30 minutes over medium heat, partially covered. Use a small cookie scoop to dollop the remaining herb ricotta mixture on top and allow it to heat through during the last 15 minutes.

Garnish with parsley and serve.

Stove Top Method (See notes for baking/crock pot methods)

Spaghetti and meatballs is a classic combination of meatballs that are broiled and simmered in a simple tomato sauce that&#039;s tossed with spaghetti and topped with hand-torn fresh basil. Our recipe uses ricotta in the meatballs for a light, airy, and incredibly tender texture.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

spaghetti

extra virgin olive oil

garlic (sliced)

anchovy

plum tomatoes

24-ounce jars passata

salt and pepper (to taste)

basil (hand torn)

water (optional, see notes below)

bread

ricotta

chuck

pork

Pecorino Romano

flat leaf Italian parsley (minced)

garlic (paste)

salt

black pepper

Heat a large sauce pot to medium-low and add the olive oil, garlic, and anchovies.  Saute until lightly golden (about 2-3 minutes) while mashing the anchovies with a wooden spoon so that they dissolve into the oil.  Add the red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds.

Next, add the white wine and turn the heat to medium-high.  Cook for 2 minutes while scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon then add the crushed tomatoes and passata and bring to a boil.

Once the sauce starts bubbling aggressively, turn down the heat and keep the sauce at a low simmer, stirring often, while moving on to preparing the meatballs.  Make sure to taste test the sauce and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

For The Sauce

In a very large bowl, mix the bread cubes with the ricotta and mash it together with a fork to form a paste.  Let it sit for 10-15 minutes or until well saturated.

Next, add the beef and ground pork to the bowl.  Sprinkle the salt and pepper all over the meat then add the garlic paste, parsley, Pecorino, and eggs and mix to incorporate.  Try to evenly distribute the ingredients but do not aggressively overmix, so as to avoid making the meatballs too tough.

With wet hands gently roll approximately 2-inch size meatballs.  Place the formed meatballs on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Set the oven rack to the second highest level and turn on the broiler.  Broil the meatballs for 5 minutes per side or until well browned.

Place the browned meatballs into the sauce pot to simmer and finish cooking.

While the meatballs are simmering, bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons Morton&#39;s kosher salt per gallon) to boil.  Once boiling, cook the spaghetti until 1 minute less than al dente.

Place 3 cups of the sauce into a large pan and turn the heat to medium.  Add the spaghetti and toss or mix to coat well.  Cook the spaghetti until just al dente (about 30-90 more seconds).  If the sauce is too dry, just add a splash of pasta water then toss again.

Turn off the heat and taste test making final adjustments to salt and pepper.  Add the hand-torn basil and serve with the meatballs and sauce on the side.  Make sure to serve with a loaf of crusty Italian bread and grated Pecorino.  Enjoy!

For The Meatballs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h83a5WxBQMA

Today we're making spaghetti and meatballs.  These meatballs are super tender because of the ricotta addition.  The sauce is super flavorful too and the best part is the whole recipe can be made in under 75 minutes!  We hope you enjoy this spaghetti and ricotta meatballs recipe!

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SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS PRINT RECIPE:
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INGREDIENTS WITH GRAM AMOUNTS (Gram amounts are estimates)

For The Sauce
1 pound (454g) spaghetti
¼ cup (56g) extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic - sliced
2 small anchovy fillets - optional
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup (120g) dry white wine
1 28-ounce (794g) can plum tomatoes - hand crushed or blender pulsed
2 24-ounce (680g per jar) jars passata
salt and pepper - to taste
¼ packed cup basil - hand torn
1 cup (240g) water - optional - For thinning sauce if needed 
For The Meatballs
4 slices white bread - ends removed and cubed
1 cup (120g) ricotta
1 pound (454g) ground chuck
1 pound (454g) ground pork
1 cup (100g)Pecorino Romano - grated
½ cup flat-leaf Italian parsley - minced
2 large eggs
2 cloves garlic paste
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

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Spaghetti and Meatballs - The 1 Ingredient You Should NEVER Leave Out

If comfort had a flavor, it would be these meatballs. Tender, cheesy, and packed with flavor, they will instantly become a family favorite. Made with simple ingredients just like Nonna made, but with a smoky twist. Slow-smoked to perfection and finished in a bubbling marinara, making them perfect for Sunday supper!

Italian Ricotta Smoked Meatballs Recipe

bread (wheat/white/Italian)

milk

beef, 80/20

whole milk ricotta (strained if needed)

Tablespoons Chupacabra Italian Seasoning

tomato paste

marinara, warmed

Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper; set aside.

Make the panade by adding the bread and milk to a bowl. “smush” the bread into the milk and set aside for 5 minutes.

To a large mixing bowl, add the ground beef, ricotta, parmesan cheese, egg, Chupacabra Italian Seasoning, Tomato Paste, and Panade mixture (including any extra milk).

Using your hands, gently mix to combine the meat. The mixture should be wet and soft but will hold a shape when you form it into meatballs. The mixture will look almost &#8220;mushy,&#8221; but it&#8217;s not. The ricotta in the mix makes it appear &#8220;blended,&#8221; which is how it should look. It&#8217;ll cook up SUPER tender!

Scoop enough meat mixture to create a 2” round ball (I use a large cookie scoop to measure my meatballs). Wet your hands and shape. Damp hands are a trick to keeping the mixture from sticking to your hands!

Place the meatballs on the prepared quarter sheet pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, though overnight is best.* 

Fill the hopper with a lighter wood, such as apple, cherry, or pecan. Start up the smoker and set it to 250°F. When I&#8217;m smoking fatty or stuff with cheese, I put a piece of aluminum foil on the lower rack beneath the food to help with the mess.

Place a cooling rack on the upper rack and lightly spray it with a neutral oil. Gently transfer the meatballs to the rack, leaving about 1/2&#8243; space between them. Lightly spray the tops of the meatballs with oil. Insert a MEATER probe into one of the meatballs and allow them to smoke until the internal temperature reads 150°F.

Once at temp, transfer the meatballs to a baking dish filled with warmed marinara. Place the dish into the smoker and close the lid. Increase the temperature to 300°F and smoke until the internal temperature reads 165°F. Remove the pan from the smoker and serve.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1/vversion1/qH3s7OuiUYttoRsL7El9.mp4

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