Ricotta Meatballs with Tomato Butter and Onion Sauce

I love meatballs, but it can be difficult to achieve a juicy, tender meatball without using breadcrumbs. A while ago, I ran across Chef Michael Symon’s mother’s recipe for meatballs made with ricotta cheese instead and I’ve been making my meatballs that way ever since! I’ve played around with the ingredients and the amounts to find a balance that suits my taste. I simmer them in Marcella Hazan’s iconic Tomato, Butter and Onion sauce to complete the dish. It’s perfect with a glass of red wine. We went to a holiday party last month and I picked up a bottle of Louis Martini 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon as a hostess gift. It’s delicious! As soon as it was opened, it was gone. I actually did a double-take. Pick up a bottle, make these meatballs and celebrate making it through another Monday 🙂

5.0 from 1 reviews

Ricotta Meatballs with Tomato Butter and Onion Sauce

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Juicy, flavorful meatballs made with ricotta and parmesan cheeses instead of breadcrumbs and Marcella Hazan's classic tomato, butter and onion sauce.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork or veal
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• ½ cup fresh parsley, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
• ¼ cup dried oregano
• 1 tbsp nutmeg, grated
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp pepper
• 2 tbsp oil
• 28 oz. can whole San Marzano Tomatoes
• ¼ cup butter
• ½ onion, peeled

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine beef, pork/veal, ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, garlic, parmesan cheese, oregano, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
2. Roll into large meatballs about the size of your palm. I usually get about 13 meatballs.
3. Pour oil into a large pan and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
4. Place meatballs in the oil and flip them over a few times so that the entire surface of the meatball is coated in a little oil.
5. Lightly brown both sides of the meatball on medium heat.
6. Add tomatoes, butter and onion to the pan.
7. Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.
8. Uncover, raise heat to medium high and cook for an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the tomatoes.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 838 Fat: 43 Saturated fat: 21 Carbohydrates: 24 Sugar: 11 Sodium: 2304 Fiber: 8 Protein: 86 Cholesterol: 299

3.2.2885

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork or veal
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• ½ cup fresh parsley, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
• ¼ cup dried oregano
• 1 tbsp nutmeg, grated
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp pepper
• 2 tbsp oil
• 28 oz. can whole San Marzano Tomatoes
• ¼ cup butter
• ½ onion, peeled

In a large bowl, combine beef, pork/veal, ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, garlic, parmesan cheese, oregano, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Roll into large meatballs about the size of your palm. I usually get about 13 meatballs.

Pour oil into a large pan and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.

Place meatballs in the oil and flip them over a few times so that the entire surface of the meatball is coated in a little oil. Don’t you hate when you put oil in a pan, brown something on one side, go to flip it over and realize the pan is now dry as the Sahara Desert? This step takes care of that by pre-coating the entire meatball with oil.

Lightly brown both sides of the meatball on medium heat. Normally, I do not fry meatballs. I put them straight into sauce or broth raw. I fry them here because the sauce I am making with them is on the dry side (not a lot of liquid) and I want to make sure that they are cooked without burning the sauce.

Add tomatoes, butter and onion to the pan. As you can see, you don’t need to cut up the onion. It’s there for flavor.

Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.

Uncover, raise heat to medium high and cook for an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the tomatoes.

These juicy meatballs and rich, velvety tomato sauce are perfect all on their own.