Lunch: Chef John's Ricotta Meatballs

Recipe by Chef John See how to turn regular beef meatballs into a ricotta-filled sensation.

Ingredients

1/2 onion, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1/4 cup packed chopped Italian parsley
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (28 ounce) jar marinara sauce
1 cup water

Instructions

Saute onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir garlic into onion and turn off heat. Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Stir ground beef, ricotta cheese, parsley, egg, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper with onion mixture until almost combined; stir in bread crumbs and continue to mix until thoroughly blended.
Roll about 2 tablespoons of mixture into a 1-inch ball for each meatball. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil in same skillet used to cook onions. Place skillet over medium heat and brown meatballs on all sides in hot oil, about 5 minutes. Hold a crumpled paper towel in a tongs and use it to remove excess grease from skillet.
Pour marinara sauce and water over meatballs in skillet. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink in the center, about 30 minutes.

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