Featured Review
5 from 20 reviews

I have been making meatballs for nearly 50 years, never with ricotta, so I thought I would give it a try. To my surprise, these ARE the best meatballs I have ever made. Followed the recipe exactly and cooking directions are perfect. I will never go back after this!

Dennis
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Perfected Over 10+ Years, The Best Italian Meatball Recipe…Ever!

Meatballs have a special place in my heart – they were one of the very first things I taught myself to cook back in college! Over the past 10+ years, I’ve tweaked and perfected this recipe, and I can confidently say these are the absolute Best-Ever Italian Meatballs.

If you ask me, serving someone a plate of spaghetti with homemade Italian-style meatballs is the ultimate expression of love. Maybe it’s no coincidence I married someone whose favorite food is meatballs (wink).

10+ years in the making, this is the best Italian meatball recipe – classic comfort food at its finest! Made with beef, pork, and ricotta cheese-soaked breadcrumbs, these ricotta meatballs are rich, flavorful, and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Baked, broiled, and simmered in a simple tomato sauce, they’re perfect for Sunday suppers, holiday gatherings, or a cozy bowl of pasta.

Two servings of three Italian Ricotta Meatballs served atop bucatini pasta tossed in a simple tomato sauce and served in a grey speckled ceramic bowls lined with a bed of whole milk ricotta cheese rest atop a creamy white cement surface. Each bowl sits atop a blue and white striped linen napkin and a silver fork and spoon rest next to one of the bowls. A small bouquet of fresh parsley, a small wooden pinch bowl filled with parmesan cheese, and a glass of red wine surround the two bowls. this Recipe for Later!
Ricotta meatballs are the ultimate Italian-style comfort food, ready in under an hour.

Chris has enjoyed taste-testing these almost as much as I’ve enjoyed perfecting them. Now, they’re just right on every level – flavor, texture, and ease. My approach to meatballs has evolved a lot since my college days, but I’ve learned the secret to making humble meatballs extra special: it’s all in the small tweaks.

This recipe features fresh aromatics and ricotta-soaked breadcrumbs for meatballs that are light, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth good. After baking and broiling, they finish with a quick simmer in my go-to simple tomato sauce. The result? Perfectly juicy meatballs that are rich, fresh, and full-flavored. They’re so good, it’s kind of crazy!

Perfect on their own, over pasta, in a meatball sub, or as an appetizer – there are so many ways to eat ricotta meatballs at any meal, any day of the week. This Italian meatball recipe is even special enough for holiday dinners!

Best-Ever Italian Meatballs simmer in a homemade simple red sauce in a cherry red Staub 13-inch Double Handle Fry Pan. The meatballs have been garnished with freshly chopped basil, parsley, and parmesan cheese and the fry pan sits atop a creamy white cement surface. A blue and white striped linen napkin has been placed underneath the fry pan. A small bouquet of fresh parsley in a wooden container and a small wooden pinch bowl filled with parmesan cheese sit alongside of the fry pan.
The rich flavors of fresh tomato sauce, savory cheese, and tender meatballs are one of the most iconic comfort foods of all time. A total classic!

How to Make Homemade Ricotta Meatballs

Learning how to make Italian meatballs is one of those skills that will stick with you for life. While there are a couple of moving parts, the process is pretty straight-forward – you’ll get the hang of it quickly!

An overhead shot of ingredients arranged on a creamy cement surface - ground beef and pork atop a sheet of crinkled wax paper, olive oil, yellow onion, garlic, whole milk ricotta, panko breadcrumbs, eggs, grated parmesan, fresh parsley, fresh basil, Italian seasoning.
This ricotta meatball recipe begins with a handful of simple, high-quality ingredients: ground pork and beef, ricotta cheese, panko breadcrumbs, eggs, parmesan and aromatics.
1

Prepare the panade. Much like how traditional Italian meatball recipes call for soaking breadcrumbs in milk, these ricotta meatballs start by mixing together panko breadcrumbs and whole milk ricotta. The breadcrumbs should soak in the ricotta for about 10 minutes.

A mixture of panko breadcrumbs and whole milk ricotta cheese are stirred together and rest inside of a large glass mixing bowl. A wooden spatula with a white rubber head rest inside of the bowl used for mixing. A blue and white striped linen napkin and an open carton of whole milk ricotta cheese rest alongside the mixing bowl.
Ricotta’s extra-soft and creamy texture creates deliciously light and meltingly tender Italian meatballs.
2

Soften the aromatics. As the breadcrumbs soak, cook the onion and garlic in a little bit of olive oil until softened and fragrant. Why? ⇢ Rather than adding them to the meatballs raw, this quick step brings out the aromatic flavor of the onion and garlic.

3

Mix the meatballs Mix the softened aromatics, eggs, grated parmesan, and fresh herbs into the ricotta-soaked breadcrumb mixture. Add the beef and pork last, carefully mixing with your hands just until everything comes together, but no longer. Why? ⇢ Over-mixing compacts the meat, resulting in tough, chewy Italian meatballs – the opposite of what we’re going for here!

A large glass mixing bowl filled with ricotta soaked panko breadcrumbs, eggs, grated parmesan cheese, softened onion and garlic, freshly chopped parsley and basil, and Italian seasoning that will become a seasoned breadcrumb mixture for Italian ricotta meatballs. A wooden spatula and a white and blue striped linen napkin rest alongside the mixing bowl and the bowl sits atop a creamy white cement surface.
To prevent the meatballs from being tough and chewy, mix all of the other ingredients first, which limits the amount you need to handle and mix the meat.
A large glass mixing bowl filled with ground beef, ground pork, and a seasoned ricotta and breadcrumb mixture that will be combined to form Italian ricotta meatballs. A wooden spatula rests inside of the bowl and a white and blue striped linen napkin rest alongside the mixing bowl. The bowl itself sits atop a creamy white cement surface.
Mix the beef and pork into the meatball mixture just until combined.

The best meat for meatballs ⇢ I opt for a mix of ground pork and ground beef, which results in beautiful, richly flavored meatballs. Many traditional Italian meatball recipes also call for ground veal, which is a great add-in if it’s readily available to you.

4

Form 2-inch meatballs, a little larger than the size of a golf ball. Lightly roll the formed ricotta meatballs in your palm to smooth them out a little. Again, treat them without pressing down on them or working them too much – doing so destroys the light, airy texture we’re after!

5

Bake-Broil-Simmer! These ricotta meatballs cook in 3 different phases to achieve the ultimate melt-in-your-mouth texture. Bake to cook them most of the way through, broil to create a beautiful golden brown crust, then finish with a quick simmer in a simple tomato sauce – more detail on this in a sec!

18 uncooked golf ball sized meatballs are arranged atop an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. The baking sheet rests atop a creamy white cement surface. A blue and white striped linen napkin rests alongside the baking sheet.
A spring-loaded scoop comes in handy when you make Italian meatballs – it helps create uniform meatballs and limits how much you need to handle the meat.
18 baked golf ball sized meatballs are arranged atop an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. The baking sheet rests atop a creamy white cement surface. A blue and white striped linen napkin rests alongside the baking sheet.
Baked Italian meatballs cook more evenly and stay super tender than pan-fried meatballs, while the broiler adds a similar golden brown finish.

The Perfect Meatball Sauce: Simple Tomato Sauce

The final touch for these Italian meatballs is my perfect, simple tomato sauce.

This sauce is loaded with smart, flavor-packed ingredients like white wine, fire-roasted tomatoes, and plenty of aromatics. It tastes like it’s been simmering for hours – but comes together in 40 minutes or less! It’s the perfect pairing to prep while your ricotta meatballs bake.

Best-Ever Ricotta Meatballs simmer in a homemade simple red sauce in a cherry red Staub 13-inch Double Handle Fry Pan. The meatballs have been garnished with freshly chopped basil, parsley, and parmesan cheese and the fry pan sits atop a creamy white cement surface. A blue and white striped linen napkin has been placed underneath the fry pan. A small bouquet of fresh parsley in a wooden container and a small wooden pinch bowl filled with parmesan cheese sit atop the linen napkin, alongside of the fry pan.
A quick tomato sauce is the perfect finishing touch for Italian-style meatballs.

Here’s how to make it:

  1. Start with aromatics. Sauté onions and garlic in a frying pan to build a rich, flavorful base.
  2. Add tomato paste and deglaze with white wine. Scrape up all those browned bits at the bottom of the pan for extra depth.
  3. Add fire-roasted tomatoes. I love using a mix of crushed and diced for the best texture.
  4. Simmer for 25 minutes. This gives the flavors time to meld and develop beautifully.

Once the ricotta meatballs are baked and broiled, finish them in the tomato sauce. This step is a game changer! The meatballs become even more tender as they soak up the sauce’s rich flavors.

A side angle shot of Best-Ever Italian Meatballs inside of a homemade simple red sauce in a cherry red Staub 13-inch Double Handle Fry Pan. The meatballs have been garnished with freshly chopped basil, parsley, and parmesan cheese and the fry pan sits atop a creamy white cement surface. A blue and white striped linen napkin has been placed underneath the fry pan. A small bouquet of fresh parsley in a wooden container and a small wooden pinch bowl filled with parmesan cheese sit alongside of the fry pan. A gold spoon rests inside of the pan lifting up a single meatball.
In the last 5 minutes of simmering, add grated parmesan, fresh parsley and basil to finish off the sauce. Then it’s time to enjoy the best Italian meatballs ever!

Serving Suggestions

Here’s the deal – there’s no wrong way to eat these meatballs. That’s one of the reasons why this is the we love these meatballs – they’re super versatile!

Some of my favorite ways to serve ricotta meatballs include…

  • Spaghetti and Meatballs 2.0 – The perfect pair! Swap out spaghetti with bucatini, a tubular long pasta with the best chewy texture. Serve them together on a bed of ricotta for the easiest, tastiest twist on classic spaghetti and meatballs! I always toss a bistro-inspired Mixed Greens Side Salad to round out the meal.
  • as an Italian meatball appetizer – Serve the ricotta meatballs in San Marzano Tomato Sauce as a dinner party appetizer to start things off on a delicious note. You could pair them with a little crostini or polenta cake, or just serve them on their own…sometimes things are perfect all on their own!
  • Italian meatball sub – Tuck your ricotta meatballs into a fresh sub roll or toasty brioche bun, then finish with some extra sauce and grated parmesan for a cozy, hearty sandwich. Easy enough for lunch and hearty enough for dinner!
A serving of three Italian Ricotta Meatballs atop bucatini pasta tossed in a simple tomato sauce in a grey speckled ceramic bowl lined with a bed of whole milk ricotta cheese sits atop a creamy white cement surface. The bowl sits atop a blue and white striped linen napkin with a silver fork and spoon resting next to the bowl. A small bouquet of fresh parsley, a small wooden pinch bowl filled with parmesan cheese, and a glass of red wine surrounds the bowl.
Serve your Italian-style meatballs with tomato sauce over bucatini and ricotta cheese for a fresh take on spaghetti and meatballs.
Print
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An overhead shot of a serving of three Italian Ricotta Meatballs served atop bucatini pasta tossed in a simple tomato sauce and served in a grey speckled ceramic bowl lined with a bed of whole milk ricotta cheese. The bowl rests atop a creamy white cement surface with a blue and white striped linen napkin placed underneath. A silver fork and spoon rests next to the bowl & a small bouquet of fresh parsley surround the bowl.

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

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 20 reviews
  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: serves 6-8 1x
  • Category: Pasta Recipes, Main Dishes
  • Method: Baked, Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American, Italian
Print Recipe

Description

These Italian-style meatballs are seriously rich and flavorful thanks to the perfect combination of ground beef and pork and a generous amount of fresh aromatics, like onion, garlic, and fresh basil.

Soaking the breadcrumbs in ricotta cheese creates the best light and meltingly tender texture. The meatballs bake, broil, and simmer in a simple, delicious tomato sauce, making them both golden-brown and 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 and absolutely perfect every single time. An instant classic! 

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Ingredients

Scale
  • ¾ pound 85%-90% lean ground beef (see Recipe Notes)
  • ¾ pound ground pork (see Recipe Notes)
  • nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ medium yellow onion, diced
  • 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • 6 ounces whole milk ricotta (approx. 3/4 cup)
  • ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 ounces finely grated parmesan (approx. 3/4 cup)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • optional: up to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season

for the simple tomato sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, as needed
  • ½ medium yellow onions, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • optional: up to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 (one) 28-ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1 (one) 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup grated parmesan
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the top ⅓ 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 and prep all ingredients according to the Ingredients List, above.Best-Ever Ricotta Meatballs ingredients arranged on a creamy cement surface - ground beef and pork atop a sheet of crinkled wax paper, olive oil, yellow onion, garlic, whole milk ricotta, panko breadcrumbs, eggs, grated parmesan, fresh parsley, fresh basil, Italian seasoning.
  2. Soften onion and garlic for the meatballs: Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add in the yellow onion. Season with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper as desired. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, 5-6 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes longer, until fragrant. Transfer softened onion and garlic to a bowl and set aside. Remove the skillet from the heat.Chopped yellow onion and garlic softens in olive oil inside of a cherry red 13-inch Staub Double Handle Fry Pan. The fry pan sits atop a creamy white cement surface with a wooden spoon resting inside of the pan for mixing.
  3. Soak the breadcrumbs: Meanwhile, as the onion and garlic cook, soak the breadcrumbs. Add the ricotta and panko breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine well. Set aside to soak for 10 minutes.A mixture of panko breadcrumbs and whole milk ricotta cheese are stirred together and rest inside of a large glass mixing bowl. A wooden spatula with a white rubber head rest inside of the bowl used for mixing.
  4. 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 and 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 and shimmering, add the yellow onions. Season with 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired, and 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 and fragrant.Pancetta and yellow onions render and soften inside of a cherry red Staub 13-inch Double Handle Fry Pan. A wooden spoon rests inside of the fry pan and the fry pan sits atop a creamy white cement surface.
  5. Build and simmer the tomato sauce: Stir the garlic and 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, and 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.A simple tomato sauce simmers in a cherry red Staub 13-inch Double Handle Fry Pan. The fry pan rests atop a creamy white cement surface.
  6. 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 and garlic from Step 2, eggs, grated parmesan, chopped fresh parsley, chopped fresh basil, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using) to a large mixing bowl. Season with 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and ground black pepper, as desired. Use your hands to mix well. Once the breadcrumb mixture is combined, add in the ground pork and ground beef. Using your hands, mix just until combined—take care to avoid over-mixing.A large glass mixing bowl filled with mixed ground beef, ground pork, and a seasoned ricotta panko breadcrumb mixture sits atop a creamy white cement surface.
  7. 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 and 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. 18 uncooked golf ball sized meatballs are arranged atop an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. The baking sheet rests atop a creamy white cement surface.
  8. Bake the meatballs: Transfer the meatballs to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn on the oven’s broiler and 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.18 baked golf ball sized meatballs are arranged atop an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. The baking sheet rests atop a creamy white cement surface. A blue and white striped linen napkin rests alongside the baking sheet.
  9. Simmer the meatballs: Once baked and 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, and basil. Simmer 5 minutes more, just to combine.Best-Ever Ricotta Meatballs simmer in a homemade simple red sauce in a cherry red Staub 13-inch Double Handle Fry Pan. The meatballs have been garnished with freshly chopped basil and parsley and the fry pan sits atop a creamy white cement surface.
  10. Serve the meatballs: Serve the meatballs immediately as desired, with pasta or in a meatball sub, etc. Enjoy!Two servings of three Italian Ricotta Meatballs served atop bucatini pasta tossed in a simple tomato sauce and served in a grey speckled ceramic bowls lined with a bed of whole milk ricotta cheese. The bowls sit atop a creamy white cement surface and each bowl sits atop a blue and white striped linen napkin. A silver fork and spoon rest next to one of the bowls. A small bouquet of fresh parsley, a small wooden pinch bowl filled with parmesan cheese, and two glasses of red wine surround the two bowls.

Equipment

Notes

  • Best meat for meatballs: Many traditional meatball recipes call for use of ground veal. While I love the flavor of veal, the combination of ground beef and ground pork is most often available at the grocery stores I frequent. That’s what I opt to use. However, many grocery stores and butcher shops sell a pre-mixed 1:1:1 combination of ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal as a “meatball mix” or “meatloaf mix”. If you can find it at your grocery store, feel free to go ahead and use it in this recipe!
  • Storage and Freezing Instructions:
    • Storage and Reheating: These meatballs store very well—the simple tomato sauce gets even more flavorful as it sits and the flavors continue to develop and marry! Simply transfer the cooled meatballs and tomato sauce to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through, adding a splash of water or chicken stock as needed to loosen up the tomato sauce. 
    • Freezer Instructions: These meatballs are also incredibly freezer-friendly. To freeze, transfer the cooled meatballs and tomato sauce to a freezer container or divide between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions. Freeze up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen meatballs in the refrigerator overnight. Easily reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through, adding a splash of water or chicken stock as needed to loosen up the tomato sauce. 
  • 20-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for these meatballs comes from prepping the veggies and forming the meatballs. Take care of some of this in advance and you can jump straight in to cooking during the week:
    • Veggie prep: Dice 2 medium yellow onions and finely chop 12 cloves of garlic. Transfer to individual airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active)
    • Mix and form the meatballs according to Step 2-3, 6-7 of Recipe Directions, above. You can roll out the meatballs immediately or save the rolling for dinnertime; either way, the mixture will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (about 20 minutes active)

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 436
  • Sugar: 6.4 g
  • Sodium: 827.9 mg
  • Fat: 24.8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 9.8 g
  • Trans Fat: 0.3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 22.5 g
  • Fiber: 4.2 g
  • Protein: 25.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 125.3 mg
An overhead shot of a serving of three Italian Ricotta Meatballs served atop bucatini pasta tossed in a simple tomato sauce and served in a grey speckled ceramic bowl lined with a bed of whole milk ricotta cheese. The bowl rests atop a creamy white cement surface with a blue and white striped linen napkin placed underneath. A small bouquet of fresh parsley surrounds the bowl.

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