Description
Soft, juicy, and packed with Italian goodness—these ricotta meatballs are like little pillows of savory joy. Once you try them, plain meatballs just won’t cut it anymore.
Ingredients
Scale
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup half & half
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp mustard powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 lb ground beef (80/20 only)
- 24 oz marinara sauce (homemade or your fave jarred brand)
- Optional: ½ cup water
- Optional: more ricotta for topping
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix ricotta, garlic, basil, oregano, and parsley. Let it sit while the herbs bloom into the cheese.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté onion and garlic until soft and fragrant. Let cool.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg and stir in half & half, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, salt, pepper, and half of the ricotta blend.
- Add ground beef and gently mix with your hands until just combined. Don’t overwork it!
- Form into meatballs (about 2 tbsp each) and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Heat more olive oil in a skillet and sear meatballs until browned on all sides. They don’t need to be fully cooked yet.
- Pour in marinara sauce, add water if needed, cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
- For extra creaminess, dollop more ricotta into the sauce near the end. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Use 80/20 ground beef for juicy results, grate your own Parmesan, and don’t skip chilling—that helps keep their perfect shape!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 510
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 115mg