Description
Delicious gluten-free and dairy-free beef ricotta meatballs served in marinara sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 32 oz marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1/2 cup half and half or cream
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 lb ground beef (80% lean)
Instructions
- Combine ricotta, garlic, basil, oregano, and parsley in a bowl and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes until soft, then add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, mix egg, half and half, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, and 3/4 cup of the ricotta mixture. Add cooled onion and garlic.
- Season ground beef with salt and pepper, add to the bowl, and gently mix until just combined.
- Form 1 1/2-inch meatballs and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs in batches for about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Discard excess oil, add marinara sauce to the skillet, and add about 1/4 cup water if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Return meatballs to the skillet, spoon sauce over them, partially cover, and simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat.
- Dollop remaining ricotta mixture on top during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for best flavor.
- Avoid overmixing the meat to keep meatballs tender.
- Hands lightly coated with oil make rolling meatballs easier.
- Can be baked or slow-cooked using the same preparation steps if desired.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball
- Calories: 92
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 225 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 24 mg
Keywords: Beef Ricotta Meatballs in Marinara