Ricotta Filled Meatballs With Fennel And Chili Recipes

RICOTTA-FILLED MEATBALLS WITH FENNEL AND CHILI

Steps:

• Put the ricotta in a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a bowl; let drain in the refrigerator overnight.
• Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, diced fennel, onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes; let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, put the bread in a bowl, add the milk and soak about 5 minutes. Mix the beef, veal and pork in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture, egg, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, pecorino, parmesan and parsley. Drain the bread, add it to the meat mixture and mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
• Mix the ricotta and salt to taste in a bowl; transfer to a pastry bag with a round tip. Form the meat mixture into 24 meatballs (slightly larger than golf balls). Make a 1-inch indentation in each meatball with your thumb, then pipe in about 1 teaspoon ricotta and form the meat around it to cover the cheese.
• Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 7 minutes; set aside. Warm the tomato sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat. Put the meatballs in the tomato sauce and simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• Divide the meatballs and sauce among bowls; serve over bucatini, if desired. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch each of red pepper flakes and fennel pollen, if desired.

RICOTTA-FILLED MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Make the meatballs: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Run bread under water and gently squeeze out excess liquid. Transfer bread to a large bowl and add veal, beef, pork, egg, onion, parsley, basil, cheese, and oregano; season with salt. Using your hands, mix until well combined. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions and roll each portion into a large round meatball. Place meatballs in a large baking dish.
• In a large bowl, combine tomato sauce and two cups of water. Spoon tomato sauce mixture over meatballs until liquid comes three-quarters of the way up the meatballs, adding more water if necessary. Cover baking dish with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil and transfer to oven. Bake meatballs for 1 hour, rotating dish after 30 minutes.
• Make the stuffing: In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. Transfer cheese mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip; set aside.
• Remove meatballs from baking dish and discard liquid. Using an apple corer or small knife, cut out a 1/2-inch hole in the bottom of each meatball; fill hole with cheese mixture and transfer meatballs to a large baking dish, hole side up.
• Serve: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon tomato sauce evenly over meatballs and transfer to oven. Bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Top each meatball with a tablespoon of ricotta cheese (it should look like it is oozing from the center) and sprinkle with Parmigiano; return to oven and heat for 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

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.