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Of all the comfort foods out there pasta has to be the most reliable of them all. Any night of the week, whether it’s a busy weeknight or a big dinner with guests over- pasta is one of my go-to dinners.
If you’re willing to put in a bit of effort for the meatballs, then this recipe for Italian meatballs with ricotta is a real winner. It makes enough to feed a big crowd and has the irresistible combination of meatballs and creamy ricotta.
These meatballs are delicate since there’s ricotta in the meat mixture (as well as in the sauce). I found that making slightly smaller meatballs meant that I had minimal breakage during the frying process.
It’s well worth it though since the meatballs have this mild, warm flavor from the ricotta in them. They also have a very tender texture which I love for this meal.
Using ready-made jarred marinara sauce means that the rest of this recipe is super easy. Just combine your cooked pasta of choice with the sauce and some seasonings. Then add in the meatballs and dollops of rich ricotta and cover until the cheese gets all melty.
The last step is to throw some freshly chopped parsley on top and then serve this piping hot.
This is a dinner that’s easy to love and for that reason it’s become a real family favorite.
Italian Meatballs with Ricotta
For the meatballs:
- 5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 lbs ground chuck, 80% lean
For serving:
- 16 oz dried pasta of your choice
- 32 oz marinara sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 8 oz ricotta cheese
Preparation
- Heat olive 3 tablespoons oil in large stockpot then add onion, Cook for 5 minutes, then add garlic. Cook for 3 minutes more then remove from pan. Allow to cool for 10 minutes while mixing the other ingredients.
- Combine remaining meatball ingredients (except oil) well in a large bowl. Add in onion and garlic mixture. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- When ready to cook heat remaining olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Roll meat mixture into small balls and fry in batches until browned, about 4-6 minutes each side. Turn with tongs or chopsticks to avoid breaking meatballs. Once cooked remove meatballs from pan and wipe pan clean.
- While meatballs are cooking prepare pasta to al dente. Add pasta, marinara sauce, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning to stockpot and heat over low for 5 minutes. Add meatballs and ricotta and cover. Cook for 5 more minutes or until ricotta is melting. Add parsley for garnish and serve piping hot.
Recipe adapted from The Cozy Cook.