The ricotta meatballs in sauce are the classic version of my delicious ricotta and spinach meatballs, a tasty and light second course that is simple to prepare and, why not, also a vegetarian version of the classic meatballs in tomato sauce.
Let’s be honest: there are so many meatball recipes because they are tasty, convenient to prepare, and they allow us to use our creativity and often allow us to use ingredients we have in our refrigerator.
The ricotta meatballs I am presenting to you are special: very soft, they literally melt in your mouth and are loved by everyone, including children! Preparing them is really very simple: with just a few ingredients you will bring to the table a delicious second course that, moreover, you can comfortably prepare in advance and with their cooking sauce, you can also quickly season a plate of pasta. A real convenience, especially for those who work, have little time available, or simply love to organize meals ahead of time.
Moreover, ricotta meatballs are also a great recipe to use up leftovers: for example, I often make them when I have ricotta close to its expiry date or stale bread to consume.
As I was saying, preparing ricotta meatballs in sauce is very simple. The only precaution you should have is to touch the meatballs as little as possible once placed in the pan: the mixture is very soft and delicate and you risk ruining the meatballs. So – you may be asking – how to prepare ricotta meatballs? Continue reading the recipe and you will soon find out!
In the meantime, here are some other recipes you may be interested in:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Affordable
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Low Heat
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 143.72 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 11.06 (g) of which sugars 1.79 (g)
- Proteins 6.85 (g)
- Fat 8.41 (g) of which saturated 3.77 (g)of which unsaturated 4.37 (g)
- Fibers 1.46 (g)
- Sodium 199.05 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 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 for Ricotta Meatballs in Sauce
- 10.5 oz cow's milk ricotta (well drained)
- 5 slices sandwich bread (or 3.2 oz stale bread)
- 2.1 oz grated Parmesan
- 1 egg
- to taste chopped parsley
- 3 tbsps breadcrumbs
- to taste salt
- 1.3 lbs tomato puree
- 6.8 fl oz water
- 1 onion
- 3 tbsps olive oil
- to taste salt
- A few leaves basil
- as needed water (or milk to soften the bread)
Tools for Preparing Ricotta Meatballs in Sauce
- Bowl
- Fork
- Pan
- Cutting board
- Knife
Steps to Prepare Ricotta Meatballs in Sauce
Let’s see together how to prepare ricotta meatballs in sauce. First of all, I recommend using well-drained and firm ricotta. Ricotta from the day before is ideal.
Finely chop an onion and sauté it in 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large and wide-bottomed pan or skillet (consider that it should be large enough to contain both the sauce and the meatballs).
When the onion starts to turn golden, pour in the tomato puree, a little more than a glass of water, a pinch of salt, and some torn basil leaves.
Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the ricotta meatballs.
Soften the bread in a bit of water or milk. Both sandwich bread and stale bread work fine. When it is soft, squeeze it well with your hands and place it in a bowl.
Also add the well-drained ricotta, the grated Parmesan, egg, chopped parsley, and salt to taste (a bit of pepper is also good if you like).
Mix all the ingredients and then let the mixture rest for ten minutes.
Add 2-3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, as needed, to reach a soft and moldable consistency.
At this point, prepare a bowl with some water, which you will use to moisten your hands to form the meatballs.
With wet hands, take small amounts of the mixture, form small meatballs, and place them in the boiling sauce.
As I already mentioned, once all the meatballs are in the pan, they should not be touched or turned to avoid damaging them or having them fall apart. To ensure that the top part of the meatballs is perfectly cooked, occasionally spoon some boiling sauce over the surface of the meatballs.
Cook over low heat for about 20-25 minutes with the pan semi-covered.
Once ready, turn off the heat. I recommend adding a few more basil leaves at the end of cooking to make the sauce more fragrant.
Let your ricotta meatballs in sauce rest for a few hours to let them firm up well and flavor the sauce with which you can season an excellent plate of pasta or simply mop with bread!
Storage and Tips
– Ricotta meatballs in sauce can, indeed should, be prepared a few hours in advance to best enjoy their flavor and consistency. If you have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container and consume them within 48 hours.
– If you only have leftover sauce from cooking the meatballs, you can safely place it in a container and freeze it.
– If the tomato puree used is a bit tart, you can remove the tomato’s acidity by putting a pinch of baking soda in the sauce. Some use a teaspoon of sugar (which is also fine if you like a sweet and delicate sauce), but sugar only improves the taste of the sauce, it does not eliminate the natural acidity of the tomato.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use lactose-free ricotta or gluten-free bread?
Certainly, by using lactose-free ricotta and/or gluten-free bread, you will get a great dish that is not only vegetarian but also lactose-free and/or gluten-free.
What can I substitute for Parmesan?
You can substitute it with Grana Padano or another grating cheese, or for a more robust flavor, you can use Pecorino. In this case, be careful with the salt, as Pecorino adds a lot of saltiness to the meatballs.
Can I add anything else to the meatball mixture?
Meatballs in sauce can also be enriched with other herbs, such as chopped basil, but also with small pieces of ham, boiled and well-squeezed spinach, or chard.
