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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 13 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: Italian, American

Description

These Italian-style meatballs are seriously rich & flavorful thanks to the perfect combination of ground beef + pork & a generous amount of fresh aromatics, like onion, garlic, & fresh basil. Soaking the breadcrumbs in ricotta cheese creates the best light & meltingly tender texture. The ricotta meatballs bake, broil, & simmer in a simple, delicious tomato sauce, making them both golden-brown & 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 & absolutely perfect every single time. An instant classic! 

Ingredients

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

for the simple tomato sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, as needed
  • 1/2 medium yellow onions, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • optional: up to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 (one) 28-ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1 (one) 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
  • kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

Instructions

  1. 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 & 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 & garlic for the meatballs: 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.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 & 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.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 & 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.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 & simmer the tomato sauce: 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.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 & 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.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 & 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 & 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.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 & 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.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 & ground pork is most often available at the grocery stores I frequent. That’s what I opt to use. However, many grocery stores & butcher shops sell a pre-mixed 1:1:1 combination of ground beef, ground pork, & ground veal as a “meatball mix” or “meatloaf mix”. If you can find it at your grocery store, feel free to go ahead & use it in this recipe!
  • Storage & Freezing Instructions:
    • Storage & Reheating: These meatballs store very well – the simple tomato sauce gets even more flavorful as it sits & the flavors continue to develop & marry! Simply transfer the cooled meatballs & 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 & 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 & forming the meatballs. Take care of some of this in advance & you can jump straight in to cooking during the week:
    • Veggie prep: Dice 2 medium yellow onions & finely chop 12 cloves of garlic. Transfer to individual airtight containers & store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active)
    • Mix & 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)

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/ricotta-meatballs-with-simple-tomato-sauce/