Ricotta Meatballs

White bowl of spaghetti with ricotta meatballs and a sprinkle of parsley.

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Course: Dinner, Entree, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: Yield approx. 32 meatballs

Calories: 344kcal

Author: Sally Cameron

Equipment

#40 cookie scoop aka disher
Rimmed baking sheet
Parchment paper

Ingredients

½ pound lean ground beef
½ pound ground pork 85/15 or 90/10
6 tablespoon GF breadcrumbs
½ cup whole-milk ricotta
1 large egg
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
2 large garlic cloves
½ cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
5 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper

Instructions

Combine the meats

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. In a medium bowl, gently mix the ground beef and pork together with your hands. Using kitchen disposable gloves makes it easier.

Mix the ricotta base

In a large bowl, whisk the egg, then stir in the breadcrumbs, ricotta, and 3 tablespoons of milk. Let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes to hydrate the breadcrumbs.

Add the seasonings

Stir in the onion, garlic, Parmesan, parsley, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.

Mix the meatballs

Pull the meat mixture into smaller pieces and add them over the ricotta mixture rather than adding it in one large chunk. Mix everything together with your hands until evenly combined. Don't overmix or compact the meat. If the mixture feels too firm, add the remaining milk, a tablespoon at a time, until it feels moist and holds together easily.

Portion and shape

Scoop the mixture into evenly sized portions and gently roll into meatballs. A #40 cookie scoop (disher) makes portioning quick and easy. Without a scoop, use approximately 1½ tablespoons of mixture per meatball.

Bake meatballs

Arrange the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake on the conventional setting for 16–18 minutes, until lightly browned and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Serve immediately or cool and freeze.

Notes

For serving you'll need spaghetti noodles and of course your sauce of choice. A good and easy sauce option (what you see in the photo), is my easy pasta sauce.

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