Apple Pie – French Apple Tart or Tarte Normande
Apple pie or French Apple tart or Tarte Normande is all I could think of. It is always apple season …
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Ricotta Meatballs with simple tomato sauce. A super easy and so flavorful recipe. Tender meatballs baked to perfection served with a light tomato sauce. A must-try!
We love meatballs and quite often I make large batches and freeze them in small packages so I can enjoy them when I do not know what to make or, I do not have time to cook.
My journey to perfect my best ever meatball has been a long and fun one. One filled with cozy Sunday dinner, crazy weeknight running around, and quickly trying to feed a small crowd, this recipe is comforting food at its finest.
Those meatballs pack some serious flavor and yet they are so soft and tender they melt in your mouth.
The ricotta cheese with the Parmigiano, and breadcrumbs give it the best light melting tender texture.
While the parsley and Worcestershire sauce give it a rich flavor.
The ricotta meatballs are a treasure to prepare. I love them in the oven, more time for me to prepare whatever side dish we choose to have.
You can fry them or you can gently simmer them in a simple delicious tomato sauce, making them both golden brown and perfectly tender at once.
Actually, it is a bit unclear the origin of the first meatballs, although it is believed that first originated in Persia where leftover meats were used to make a dish known as Kofta.
And from Persia, the meatball spread throughout the Middle East to China.
In Italy, they have “Polpette” which you can trace their Italian heritage all the way back to the Roman empire.
Recipes have been found dating back to the 4th or 5th century, which include several varieties of meatballs made of everything from fish to chicken.
Between 1880 and 1920 when millions of Italians left Italy and migrated to America, they brought with them the concept of the meatballs but adapted this recipe to meet their budgets at the time as well using ingredients that were available to them locally.
In America, we have two popular versions of meatballs: “Italian” meatballs or Classic Italian-style Meatballs and Swedish Meatballs.
I use Italian in quotes because, and please do not be mad at me, those little balls slathered in a heavy marinara sauce and served alongside pasta, are actually an American creation.
As with most delicious recipes you only need a handful of high-quality ingredients.
Absolutely, YES!! The egg uses as a binder and holds the meatballs, this recipe with ricotta, or any other that you may choose to make. Without the egg, your meatball most likely will crumble and fall apart during the cooking or baking process.
Yes, you can. Prep and form the meatballs ahead of time. When it is time to cook, bring them to room temperature and proceed with the baking instructions as per the recipe.
I personally love to bake them instead of frying the meatballs on the stove. The result is fantastic, less greasy, and a lot faster.
Worth mentioning: they did not fall apart in the oven.
I found that when I pan-fry they dry out faster and they form a very tough outer crust, although gorgeous, a bit tough to bite into. Not always cooking evenly.
My personal experience is that the baked meatballs are more evenly and stay super tender.
Super easy and light. Brown the garlic in the oil and then remove. Add gently the tomatoes to the hot oil, season, and cook for 20-30 minutes. I love light homemade sauces.
Nothing easier and once you have done it a few times, you can make those divine little balls in your sleep. The process is simple and straight forwards, and quick too, my favorite part.
Enjoy it with your favorite pasta. I love tubular pasta and here I used mezzi rigatoni. Penne, farfalle, or spaghetti are a great combination. Toss your pasta with tomato sauce.
I leave it up to you to mix the meatballs with ricotta and the tomatoes. Every way you want to do them, make sure you grate some fresh parmesan over it.
These ricotta meatballs are the only recipe you will ever need! ❤️
Pot Roast with Vegetables – An American Tradition
Spaghetti Meatballs – Everyone Favorite
Equipment and ingredients that I used to make this recipe
In a saucepan over medium high heat, add the olive oil and the garlic. As soon as the garlic is golden, remove and discard.
Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook over medium low heat for about 25-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Mix all the ingredients by hand or in the KitchenAid mixer with the paddle. Roll out 12 meatballs.
Place them on greased baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or golden brown.
Can be served alongside any pasta of choice. Cook pasta according to manufacturer directions. Mix the meatballs with the tomato sauce and pasta. Serve hot with freshly grated Parmiggiano cheese over it.
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Deeelicious!!! 😋 Love meatballs! Love this idea for baked, super soft, cheesy meatballs.
They sure were extremely soft, you will love them.
Best
Giangi
I have to admit I’m not the biggest ricotta fan but my husband loves the stuff. These were a huge hit with my family.
Thank you for your feedback.
wowowow these look insanely good! ricotta makes everything better 🙂
Thank you and I could not agree with you more.
Enjoy!
Such a tasty sauce, but I adapted the recipe to make a meat free version.
Wonderful. Enjoy!
What a great recipe I will be adding this to my weekly meal plan…
Thank you. Enjoy!
Inspiring recipe! May have to veganize this one at some point.
Love to see your vegan version.
Enjoy!
love adding ricotta to the meatballs. they were so soft and juicy
This recipe is full of lovely flavors! Big fan!
I am so pleased you like it.
Thank you.