Spaghetti and meatballs. It’s the quintessential Italian meal and the perfect Sunday night dinner. The main reason why I love making this meal is because of it’s simplicity, and like with anything simple, quality is of utmost importance. You need the a great gravy and melt in your mouth meatballs.
The other reason why I enjoy this family dinner is because it’s a crowd pleaser. Nobody ever complains about eating pasta for dinner, and while the kids’s tastebuds aren’t quite sold on meatballs just yet, I’m confident that this recipe will soon convert them.
For years I have been trying to recreate my grandmother’s meatballs, and I have to say these come pretty close. The key ingredient is the ricotta cheese – and it must be whole milk ricotta. It creates such a smooth creamy texture that literally melts in your mouth.
I like to make batches of gravy and meatballs at the same time, and store extra containers full in the freezer for an easy weeknight dinner. Just remove from the freezer in the morning and reheat for dinner.
- 2 lbs meatloaf mix (1/3 each beef, pork and veal)
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup italian breadcrumbs
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup dried parsley
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl with clean hands.
- Shape meatballs by rolling between palms.
- Bake meatballs on an edged cookie sheet or jelly roll pan for 40 minutes.
- Place meatballs in a large pot of sauce and simmer for 20 minutes.
I never thought to put Ricotta in my meatballs. Sounds delicious