The Most Perfect Veal & Ricotta Meatballs

Julie Miguel is a digital content producer with a specialization in food media as well as an active food blogger located in Toronto, Canada. The focus of her blog, Daily Tiramisu, is to empower home cooks to be fearless in the kitchen and she does this by taking traditionally difficult recipes and making them easier to execute.

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I am always on the hunt for the perfect meatball recipe.  Don’t get me wrong, I have come across many, but they always seem to involve a lot of prep. 

Recently I was looking through my old recipes and I came across this recipe by Mario Batali.  These meatballs are deliciously cheesy and not dry, and the best part is they are ridiculously fast to make!  They make the perfect addition to any spaghetti or all on their own!

I began preparing my sauce first.  As my sauce simmered away, I prepared the meatballs.  I had spaghetti, sauce and meatballs ready in 35 minutes!  That is exactly the timeline I strive for.

I have only included the recipe for the meatballs below.  Use your favourite basic tomato sauce!  Also, something else I recently learned – Tomato sauce doesn’t have to simmer and simmer for hours.  As soon as you see your olive oil on the surface of your sauce – it’s ready!  

Enjoy!
blogger image 229740575 meatballs The Most Perfect Veal & Ricotta Meatballs


Veal & Ricotta Meatballs
Yield: 28 medium size meatballs 


Ingredients
1/2 pound veal shoulder, finely ground in a meat grinder (pre-packed ground meat usually comes in 0.500 Kg packages which is 1 pound.  So, if you get a large package, double the rest of the ingredients.)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese, drained for 1 hour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
A few gratings nutmeg
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Flour, for dusting
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, for frying
4 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
Basil or parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the veal, cheese, egg, Parmigiano, nutmeg, salt and pepper. When the mixture is well-blended, shape it into several balls 1-inch diameter. Lightly dust each ball with the flour. (If you skip this step the meatballs will fall apart in the pan.)

In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet with fairly high sides, heat the oil over high heat until just smoking. Add the balls, a few at a time, and cook until they are uniformly golden brown. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon and keep warm while the remaining meatballs are cooked.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the tomato sauce over high heat until it begins to bubble. Keep hot while the meatballs cook.

Serve the meatballs in the hot sauce, with the basil or parsley leaves sprinkled over as garnish.

With Love,

Jules for Daily Tiramisu

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