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Italian Meatballs
Meatballs are so tasty and the more you make them the better you get!
This is the way my grandma made them but I use ricotta instead of bread crumb to keep the meat tender and juicy. The ricotta disappears into the cooked meat where you never know it is there.
Your entire family will go crazy over these. Meatballs are a fast light weeknight supper to serve with a wooden bowl of salad - or make spaghetti for your family!
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef or beef & pork 'meatloaf mix'
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup ricotta
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Locatelli cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced then mashed
- 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley - don't skip this, fresh parsley is the key to flavor and color
- Olive oil
Instructions
Blend the ground meat with the egg, ricotta, cheese, salt, pepper, garlic and parsley in a large bowl until well blended. Roll the mixture into 8 portions, about 1/3 cup each. I use a metal ice cream scoop to portion my meatballs.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium nonstick skillet - arrange the meatballs in the pan, brown on side down, and carefully turn, browning on each side, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove to a shallow dish. They will not be cooked all the way through, but will finish in the sauce. Set aside to add to sauce.
Prepare a pot of Quick Tomato Basil Sauce, adding the meatballs plus all the juices from the dish. Lower heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve on a plate with a scoop of ricotta if desired and a lightly dressed green salad.
