Meatballs With Ricotta Recipes

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS WITH RICOTTA

Steps:

• For the meatballs: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook until soft, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Whisk together the Parmesan, parsley, oregano, eggs, 3 tablespoons cold water, the sauteed garlic and onions and some salt and pepper in a large bowl until combined. Add the chuck and pork and gently mix together until combined. Begin adding breadcrumbs a few tablespoons at a time until the mixture just holds together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. The longer you let the mixture sit, the more the flavor develops.
• For the fresh pasta: In a food processor, combine the flour and eggs. Pulse until it comes together as a dough. Remove and knead until smooth. Let rest for at least 30 minutes.
• For the tomato sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Increase the heat to high, add the tomatoes and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning (adding a pinch of sugar if needed) and stir in the basil.
• Form the meatball mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Heat the remaining 1 cup of oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the meatballs and fry until golden brown on all sides.
• Add the meatballs to the sauce, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the meatballs have cooked through and the sauce has thickened more, about 15 minutes longer.
• To cook the pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt.
• Roll out the dough in portions using a pasta roller. Cut out spaghetti using a pasta cutter and place the fresh pasta on a tray lined with parchment.
• Boil the pasta until al dente, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss the pasta with some of the warm sauce and a little bit of pasta water in a saute pan.
• Transfer the sauced pasta to a platter and top with the meatballs (using a slotted spoon). Ladle the remaining tomato sauce over the spaghetti and meatballs. Dollop ricotta on top and grate lots of Parmesan over the top. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs and parsley leaves.

RICOTTA MEATLESS MEATBALLS WITH SAUCE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet or large plate with waxed paper.
• Combine ricotta cheese and eggs in a large bowl; mix well. Add bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper; mix until thoroughly blended.
• Take a scoop of the mixture with a small cookie scoop and put it in the palm of your hands. Roll it into a ball and place on the waxed paper. Repeat until all of the mixture has been shaped into balls. Place in the refrigerator while you make the sauce.
• Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, wine, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a simmer.
• Add ricotta balls to the sauce. Simmer, shaking the pan occasionally to cover the balls with sauce, until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

MEATBALLS WITH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet cook onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil for 8 minutes or until tender. Cool.
• In a large bowl combine eggs, onion mixture, ground beef, 1 cup Grana Padano, the ricotta cheese, panko, parsley, basil, salt and pepper.
• Mix to form a uniform mass and shape the mixture into 2 inch balls.
• Test one meatball before starting the next process.
• If the ricotta is too watery, add more breadcrumbs or ground beef. If it is too dry, add more ricotta.
• Place meatballs on two parchment­ lined 15x10x1­inch baking pans.
• Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until 165 degrees F.
• In a very large skillet bring marinara sauce to boiling.
• Add half of the meatballs to the skillet and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes or until a nice saucy consistency.
• Garnish with Grana Padano, if desired.

RICOTTA MEATBALLS

Steps:

• 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.

CHEF JOHN'S RICOTTA MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Saute onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir garlic into onion and turn off heat. Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl.
• Stir ground beef, ricotta cheese, parsley, egg, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper with onion mixture until almost combined; stir in bread crumbs and continue to mix until thoroughly blended.
• Roll about 2 tablespoons of mixture into a 1-inch ball for each meatball. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil in same skillet used to cook onions. Place skillet over medium heat and brown meatballs on all sides in hot oil, about 5 minutes. Hold a crumpled paper towel in a tongs and use it to remove excess grease from skillet.
• Pour marinara sauce and water over meatballs in skillet. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink in the center, about 30 minutes.

GROUND TURKEY-RICOTTA MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix turkey, ricotta cheese, bread crumbs, basil, egg, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until just combined.
• Scoop mixture using a 1-ounce measure onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Flip meatballs and bake until browned and no longer pink in the centers, about 5 minutes more.