Best 2 Chef Johns Ricotta Meatballs Recipes

With its irresistible blend of flavors and textures, Chef John's ricotta meatballs are a culinary delight that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving more. These meatballs, crafted with a combination of ricotta cheese, ground beef, and aromatic seasonings, offer a delightful balance of richness, moistness, and savoriness. They are perfect for any occasion, whether it's a casual family dinner, a festive holiday gathering, or a special date night meal.

Let's cook with our recipes!

RICOTTA-FILLED MEATBALLS

Ricotta-Filled Meatballs image

Basic meatballs become dinner party fare when stuffed with rich, creamy ricotta cheese in this recipe from Apizz chef John LaFemina.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Beef Recipes Ground Beef Recipes

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups cubed crusty white Italian bread, crusts removed
1 pound ground veal
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 large egg
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Pinch of oregano
Coarse salt
2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce
1 cup Basic Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Steps:

Make the meatballs: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Run bread under water and gently squeeze out excess liquid. Transfer bread to a large bowl and add veal, beef, pork, egg, onion, parsley, basil, cheese, and oregano; season with salt. Using your hands, mix until well combined. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions and roll each portion into a large round meatball. Place meatballs in a large baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine tomato sauce and two cups of water. Spoon tomato sauce mixture over meatballs until liquid comes three-quarters of the way up the meatballs, adding more water if necessary. Cover baking dish with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil and transfer to oven. Bake meatballs for 1 hour, rotating dish after 30 minutes.
Make the stuffing: In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. Transfer cheese mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip; set aside.
Remove meatballs from baking dish and discard liquid. Using an apple corer or small knife, cut out a 1/2-inch hole in the bottom of each meatball; fill hole with cheese mixture and transfer meatballs to a large baking dish, hole side up.
Serve: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon tomato sauce evenly over meatballs and transfer to oven. Bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Top each meatball with a tablespoon of ricotta cheese (it should look like it is oozing from the center) and sprinkle with Parmigiano; return to oven and heat for 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

CHEF JOHN'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Chef John's Italian Meatballs image

Homemade meatballs are a very easy to make, and since we skip the very messy step of pan-frying these before they hit the sauce, it becomes downright simple. Here I use a standard half-beef/half-pork mixture. You can substitute water or beef broth for the milk, if preferred.

Provided by Chef John

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian

Time 2h15m

Yield 30

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

⅓ cup plain bread crumbs
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs
¼ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onions in hot oil until translucent, about 20 minutes.
Mix beef and pork together in a large bowl. Stir onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, and Parmesan cheese into meat mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.
Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Using wet hands, form meat mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange onto prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 81.9 calories, Carbohydrate 1.7 g, Cholesterol 32.3 mg, Fat 5.5 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 6.2 g, SaturatedFat 1.9 g, Sodium 192.1 mg, Sugar 0.5 g

Tips:

To make sure the meatballs are cooked evenly, use a meat thermometer to check that they have reached an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can cook the meatballs until they are no longer pink in the center.
To make the meatballs more flavorful, use a variety of herbs and spices, such as garlic, onion, basil, oregano, and thyme.
You can also add some grated Parmesan cheese or bread crumbs to the meatball mixture.
To make the meatballs lighter and airier, add some milk or water to the meatball mixture.
If you want crispy meatballs, brown them in a pan before baking them in the oven.
To make the meatballs more moist, bake them in a covered dish.
Serve the meatballs with your favorite sauce, such as tomato sauce, gravy, or marinara sauce.

Conclusion:

Chef John's ricotta meatballs are a delicious and versatile dish that can be served as an appetizer, main course, or side dish. They are easy to make and can be made ahead of time. The meatballs can be baked, fried, or grilled and can be served with a variety of sauces. They are a great way to use up leftover bread and ricotta cheese and are a surefire hit with family and friends.