Ricotta cheese is the secret to these moist, tender meatballs. Serve over pasta with your favorite marinara sauce for a meal the whole family will love.
I’ve tried a lot of meatball recipes over the years, and combined them into this perfect (at least I think so) recipe for Classic Italian Meatballs.
When it comes to satisfying comfort food, there’s nothing quite like a plate of homemade spaghetti and meatballs. This is one dish I can serve with confidence, knowing that I’ll get no complaints from anyone.
One thing I’ve noticed, over years of experimenting with different recipes, is that the best meatballs are made with ricotta cheese. And that’s the secret to this meatball recipe!
The ricotta cheese results in meatballs that are soft and tender, but still hold together well. No other ingredient I’ve tried has come close to creating that perfect meatball texture.
So, change up the spices if you must. Use all ground beef if you’d like, but whatever you do, don’t skip the ricotta cheese.
In addition to ricotta cheese, these meatballs feature a mix of ground pork and ground beef, seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, and the perfect blend of spices and seasonings.
You can use plain breadcrumbs if you like, but the seasoned crumbs at so much flavor. So if you do opt for plain, be sure to add a bit of extra seasoning to your meat mixture.
And for ease of cooking, and less mess, these meatballs are baked, rather than browned on the stove top. Trust me, once you start baking your meatballs, you’ll never go back to cooking them on the stove top.
I most often serve these meatballs with spaghetti–the classic choice of pasta. But they’re amazing with any kind of pasta, so go ahead and use your favorite. Serve with crusty bread and a green salad for the perfect Italian-style meal.
Whenever I make these Classic Italian Meatballs for dinner, my family raves, and pretty much declares me mom of the year. I hope you love these meatballs as much as we do!
Be sure to save this recipe for to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Here’s what you’ll need to make Classic Italian Meatballs
- Ground beef
- Ground pork
- Breadcrumbs
- Ricotta cheese
- Produce: fresh parsley, garlic
- Spices: onion powder, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper
- Marinara sauce, for serving
Classic Italian Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Marinara sauce for serving
Instructions
- Cover a large baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine beef, pork, bread crumbs, ricotta, egg, parsley, garlic and seasonings. Mix well. Shape mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake meatballs for 15-20 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Serve with pasta and your favorite marinara sauce.
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Nutrition
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Who Dished It Up First: This is an original recipe
3 comments
Aracelis Marrerro
Besides cooking them in the oven can you brown then on the stove top then simmer them in the sauce? Can they be frozen as well and if so how long can they be frozen for?
Danelle
Yes, you can definitely cook them on the stove top. I’d say you could freeze them for several months.
Laurenda Peters
Yay!!!! I’m on the hunt for a favorite meatball. I’m excited to try them with ricotta!