“The definitive recipe for any Italian dish has not yet appeared. We are still creating.” ~ Luigi Barzini
Ricotta Stuffed Meatballs
I think that I’ve mentioned that my husband is Italian. He grew up sharing Sunday dinner with his grandparents and cousins. His grandmother and all the other women in the family busily cooked a big Italian meal that included pasta and meatballs. Imagine the aroma of sautéed garlic, tomatoes, spices and ground meat, and the steam from the pasta water carrying these smells throughout the house.
When I got married I had big shoes to fill when it came to meatballs. I tweaked many recipes and finally arrived at a meatball that my husband really liked. This version takes my basic meatball to new heights with a ricotta cheese filling.
To prepare the meatballs, first take 2 slices of stale bread and whisk in a blender to make bread crumbs.
In a large bowl combine the ground beef, ground pork, eggs, minced garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese, basil and salt. Shape the meat into 16 large meatballs.
Drop the raw meatballs into your tomato sauce, and cook them for one hour. After an hour, remove the meatballs from the sauce and place them in a baking dish. NOTE: My father-in-law taught me to cook the meatballs in the tomato sauce. The flavors from the meat cook into the sauce, and the meatballs are not crisp on the outside.
Prepare the filling by combining the ricotta cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Place the filling in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip.
Remove a ½” core from the center of each meatball. Do not cut all the way through the meatball. Squeeze some cheese mixture into each meatball and mound it on top of the meatball. It should look like it is oozing out of the center. Sprinkle the top of the cheese with a small amount of parsley.
Surround the meatballs with some tomato sauce. Place in a preheated 350 degree F. oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Serve with pasta and homemade tomato sauce.
Buon appetito!!
Meatballs with Ricotta Cheese Filling
By Published: March 26, 2014
- Yield: 8 Servings
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 1 hr 15 mins
- Ready In: 1 hr 35 mins
“The definitive recipe for any Italian dish has not yet appeared. We are still creating.” ~ Luigi Barzini Ricotta Stuffed …
Ingredients
- 2 slices stale bread
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- 1 pound ground pork
- 4 large eggs
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- parsley for sprinkling on top of the filling
Instructions
- To prepare the meatballs, first take 2 slices of stale bread and whisk in a blender to make bread crumbs.
- In a large bowl combine the ground beef, ground pork, eggs, minced garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese, basil and salt. Shape the meat into 16 large meatballs.
Drop the raw meatballs into your tomato sauce, and cook them for one hour. After an hour, remove the meatballs from the sauce and place them in a baking dish.
- Prepare the filling by combining the ricotta cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Place the filling in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip.
- Remove a ½” core from the center of each meatball. Do not cut all the way through the meatball. Squeeze some cheese mixture into each meatball and mound it on top of the meatball. It should look like it is oozing out of the center. Sprinkle the top of the cheese with a small amount of parsley.
- Surround the meatballs with some tomato sauce. Place in a preheated 350 degree F. oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Serve with pasta and homemade tomato sauce.
[...] NOTE: If you want to add meatballs and or sausage, add them when you start to simmer the sauce and remove them after 60-75 minutes so as not to overcook them. See my meatballs with ricotta cheese filling. [...]