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Meatballs & Ricotta Recipe

Name: Pierro's Italian Bistros Meatballs & Ricotta Recipe
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef (80/20); 0.5 lb ground pork; 0.75 cup fresh breadcrumbs; 0.25 cup whole milk; 1 each large egg; 0.25 cup Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, finely grated; 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped; 2 clove garlic, minced (about 2 medium cloves); 1 tsp dried oregano; 0.25 tsp crushed red pepper flakes; 1.25 tsp Kosher salt; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil (for coating pan); 2 cup marinara sauce (homemade or good-quality jarred); 1 cup whole-milk ricotta, well-stirred; 0.25 cup Romano cheese, finely grated; 6 leaf fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonade); 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil (optional drizzle); 0 to taste freshly ground black pepper (to taste); 0 to taste sea salt (to taste)

Inspired by Pierro's Italian Bistro

Time55m

Serves4

Mamma's recipe, hand rolled and baked golden, topped with marinara, Romano, and fresh ricotta.

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Ingredients

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Meatballs

1 lb ground beef (80/20)

1/2 lb ground pork

3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1/4 cup whole milk

1 each large egg

1/4 cup Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, finely grated

2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 clove garlic, minced (about 2 medium cloves)

1 tsp Dried oregano

1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/4 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil (for coating pan)

Sauce & Topping

2 cup marinara sauce (homemade or good-quality jarred)

1 cup whole-milk ricotta, well-stirred

1/4 cup Romano cheese, finely grated

6 leaf fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonade)

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil (optional drizzle)

0 to taste freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

0 to taste sea salt (to taste)

Method

Meatballs

Prep the binder

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk; let sit 5 minutes until the crumbs absorb the milk and become a cohesive paste (panade).

Mix the meat

In a large bowl, add ground beef and ground pork. Add the panade, egg, grated Parmesan/Romano, chopped parsley, minced garlic, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, Kosher salt, and black pepper. Use your hands to mix gently until combined — avoid overworking to keep meatballs tender (about 20-30 light turns).

Form meatballs

Portion mixture into roughly 1 1/4 inch to 1 1/2 inch meatballs (about 1.5 oz each) using a cookie scoop or by hand. Roll between your palms to form smooth spheres. This recipe yields approximately 18–20 meatballs (servings uses 4-6 meatballs per person depending on appetite).

Coat and arrange

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange meatballs on the sheet with 1-inch spacing so air circulates.

Bake

Bake meatballs in the preheated oven 15–18 minutes until browned and cooked through (internal temperature 160°F / 71°C). For more even browning, rotate the pan halfway through baking.

Sauce & Finish

Warm the marinara

While meatballs bake, gently warm the marinara in a saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering, about 5–8 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or a pinch of sugar if needed.

Coat baked meatballs

When meatballs are done, transfer them with a spatula into the warm marinara, or spoon sauce over meatballs in the baking dish. Return to oven for 5 minutes to meld flavors and finish glazing the meatballs.

Plate and top

Spoon meatballs and sauce onto a serving platter or individual plates. Dot or spoon 1–2 tablespoons of ricotta over each portion of meatballs (or place small quenelles of ricotta on top of each meatball). Sprinkle grated Romano evenly over the dish.

Garnish

Finish with torn or chiffonaded basil leaves, a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil if desired, and a grinding of black pepper. Taste and add salt to ricotta or sauce if necessary.

Serve

Inspired by Pierro's Italian Bistro

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