Here they are—the top sellers at The Shop and sure to be a big hit at home. Most traditional meatball recipes call for Parmesan or pecorino cheese. While we're big fans of these stronger cheeses, we prefer ricotta. It's our secret weapon. The mild and creamy consistency of this fresh cheese gives the meatballs a unique light texture. Beef has a subtle flavor, and the ricotta is a great way to add fat and moisture to the recipe without the overpowering flavor of a sharper cheese. These are quick to prep, and baking rather than frying makes this a fast comfort food even during the busiest of weeks.
Ingredients
Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch balls
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the olive oil into a 9×13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.
Step 2
Combine the ground beef, ricotta, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and fennel in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
Step 3
Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.
Step 4
Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165°F.
Step 5
While the meatballs are roasting, heat the tomato sauce in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often.
Step 6
When the meatballs are firm and fully cooked, remove them from the oven and drain the excess grease from the pan. Pour the tomato sauce over them. Return the meatballs to the oven and continue roasting for another 15 minutes.
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Reviews (72)
Back to TopThese turned out great for a large party where we had to make them about a week ahead. I followed other reviewers’ recommendations and added a sautéed diced onion and garlic, extra fennel and spices, and Parmesan in additional to the ricotta. I used 3lbs beef and 2lbs pork, froze the meatballs in their sauce, thawed them the night before our party, and heated them and served in the crock pot. They held together well after all of that, tasted great (juicy and flavorful), and nearly all were consumed by our 40 guests along with a baked rigatoni (kept separate for vegetarian guests). We’ll definitely make this recipe again for next year’s party.
Pam
St Paul, MN
2/12/2023
I used oatmeal instead of beef. I'm a vegetarian. I used the liquid from a can of chick peas instead of eggs and chopped banana peels instead of bread crumbs.This was horrible. It tasted like oatmeal, banana and chick peas! How does that make a tasty meatball?!! Just kidding, these are my favorite meatballs! I made these exactly as written. My family fights over the last meatball. So good, so moist, so flavorful. Meat, meat, meatballs!
The dude
Flyover Country
4/11/2022
The Ricotta makes these meatballs 100% more succulent than the traditional Pecorino Romano method. When you go to eat them you can dust as much Pecorino Romano as you like, however roasting these meatballs with aged cheeses will only dry them out. I prefer this recipe with dried ingredients rather than fresh also & I tend to double up I'm just about everything. Rather than salt I also use a nice steak seasoning rub and I dust the meatballs prior to roasting. A little dried crushed onion and a little garlic powder can also be added to the mixture if you desire to bump it a bit. You can also put in a tiny amount of Worchester sauce & a little dried Thyme. The Fennel is spectacular in these meatballs and I definitely would never omit this key ingredient. A note on the fresh ingredients. I find the fresh parsley & oregano soggs the meatballs out. The reason these meatballs are so good is because they are moist. Therefore the dried ingredients couples better with the roasting method. I also like a little bit more olive oil and a little bit more crushed red pepper & bread crumbs. I will never soak several day old Italian bread and milk again as the base for my meatballs to be moist. Ricotta is an excellent idea & this meatball recipe as written can be expounded on in many creative ways. It's the basis for a world-class meatball depending on what you want to do with your particular fancies. Celery seeds also bring a unique layer to these meatballs,
Anonymous
4/2/2021
Delicious with a tender texture. They freeze in their sauce really well. Quality ingredients is key. If you can, use grass-fed beef, definitely grind fennel seed yourself, and use young parsley. I don’t think it’s fair to downgrade the recipe when you’ve not followed the recipe. Make it as written and enjoy (or not) the fresh flavors, then post a review.
Sharon.M
NH
1/28/2021
a good basic recipe, but needed to boost flavor profile. Agree with prior reviewers that adding sauteed onions and garlic makes a huge difference. Also used 1/2 pound ground pork to 1.5 pound of very lean ground beef. and used panko (better than breadcrumbs). Replaced parsley with basil for more flavor, and added just a bit of harissa paste and lemon zest to boost flavor, too. What I did miss about roasting the meatballs in the baking dish is that nice crust you get when you roast it straight on a baking pan. Both are equally easy.
pd52
San Francisco,CA
6/28/2020
I wanted a good meatball recipe to make for tonight’s dinner. Had all needed for recipe and halved it bcz there’s only 2 of us. I too omitted the fennel, not a fan of fennel, used dried Italian seasoning, also dried parsley and omitted the Red Pepper flakes. Really light nice tasting enjoyable meatballs. I’ve always heard not to over mix your meat mixture as it makes for tough results, so I didn’t use my hands at all to mix used a teaspoon-really think it helped.
believegig7070
Usually up in the sky...
10/21/2019
Left out the fennel, substituted Italian seasoning for the oregano, and added shredded mozzarella to the top for the last 5 min. The whole family loved them! Will definitely make again, and will probably take some of the recommendations for the diced onion and garlic next time.
christinas40
Jacksonville, FL
1/23/2018
Quick and easy. Mild spice so good for people who want it without too much heat.
latter
Calgary
1/16/2018
You must add 1/2 a diced onion and 4 large minced garlic cloves along with 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese. The meatballs will melt in your mouth.
Afiorini22
West Palm Beach and Boston
4/9/2017
With my changes I give this 4 forks. I could tell this was lacking in the flavor department so with these changes it does not disappoint! Substitute 1 lb Italian sausage for 1 lb of ground beef. Add 1/2 onion very thinly sliced and diced (or grated as another recommended), add 3-4 tblsp chopped garlic, 1/4 cup parmesan and go heavy on the parsley. I served this with ricotta gnocchi. Delicious. Making again this week.
waveymama
CoColorado
3/6/2017
These meatballs were extremely bland and flavorless (though moist). Luckily, I tested a small portion (by frying in some olive oil) before baking. It needed sauteed onions and garlic in addition to pecorino and parmesan before the balls tasted flavorful. I would skip this recipe and look elsewhere.
primavera
Los Angeles
1/17/2017
Yummy and easy. Meatballs were moist. I took a shortcut and used jarred marinara.
humead
12/29/2016
I used a mix of half pork/half lean ground beef for this followed the rest of the recipe as is. I loved the addition of ricotta- they made the meatballs light and moist. I will definitely make again, and next time will make sure to have extra sauce! Eating leftovers today in a meatball parm.
Anonymous
Boston
11/7/2016
These were surprisingly flavorless! Very bland. Why? I think some cooked onion and garlic would add something. I wouldn't make this again.
jjmarty
直流
7/31/2016
不错,简单的食谱。我真的很喜欢使用纹理。Next time I will reduce salt a little bit - I don't enjoy salty foods very much, but my husband liked them as is. I will also eliminate or reduce the pressure pepper flakes - my daughter would not eat them because she does not like anything spicy. I loved how quick, simple, and "non-messy" they were to make.
Anonymous
Chicago, Illinois
4/12/2016
