Today, Ricotta Meatballs in Tomato Sauce, absolutely one of my favorite main courses, with a unique softness and when you taste a meatball it’s inevitable to eat them all just as they are.. Try them because they are really simple and delicious to make. Moreover, this main course solves the problem of what to make as a first course, as this sauce is an excellent pasta condiment. I made some spaghetti with sauce and super soft, delicious ricotta meatballs. But let’s get back to these tasty meatballs. You can choose the size, of course, I prefer them large, but if you prefer, make them smaller. I cooked them directly in the sauce, not frying them first like most Puglian meatballs. The important thing about this recipe, besides its simplicity, is the quality of the ingredients, particularly the ricotta which must be marzotica. The term “marzotica” refers to the month during which production is highest, especially when sheep begin to graze on tender spring forage and provide the richest milk. Another important ingredient is the bread. In this recipe, I added bread from Laterza, a source of Puglian pride, made with sourdough, re-milled durum wheat semolina flour, water, and salt. Naturally, you can use the bread from your area. So, friends, try these Ricotta Meatballs in Tomato Sauce and enjoy your meal.
If you like meatballs

- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 197.44 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 13.12 (g) of which sugars 2.22 (g)
- Proteins 9.62 (g)
- Fat 12.20 (g) of which saturated 5.99 (g)of which unsaturated 2.57 (g)
- Fibers 0.75 (g)
- Sodium 389.82 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 50 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 12 oz sheep ricotta (marzotica)
- 5 oz stale bread (bread from Laterza)
- 2 eggs (medium)
- 1 oz pecorino
- 1 oz Grana Padano DOP
- to taste salt
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste chopped parsley
- 1 pinch pepper
Tools
- 1 Pan
Steps
Sauté garlic in extra virgin olive oil in a pan
Add tomato sauce, basil leaves, and salt.
In a bowl, combine finely crumbled stale bread, eggs, salt, pepper, Grana, pecorino, ricotta, and chopped parsley.
Mix everything well
Form the meatballs
Cook them directly in the sauce for about 20 minutes
Our meatballs are ready to be enjoyed with slices of bread or as a condiment for spaghetti with sauce and ricotta meatballs.