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Meatballs with Ricotta and Marinara


We have enjoyed meatballs with ricotta and marinara sauce at restaurants for an appetizer and so I've started to make it at home.  It's simple, can be used as an appetizer or as a main dish with pasta. 

  • 1/2  pound ground beef
  • 1/2  pound mild Italian Sausages, casings removed
  • small handful chopped basil
  • small handful chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2  cup dried bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon oil (for frying)

  • 1 large jar marinara sauce
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese for garnish
  1. Combine the ground beef, sausage meat, basil, parsley, egg and bread crumbs.
  2. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and fry in batches in a cast iron fry pan.  You will have more than enough for an appetizer.  Set aside remaining meatballs and refrigerate to make appetizers for another day, (like the meatballs in the top left-hand corner of the collage) or make this as a larger appetizer in a 9X13-inch pan. 
  3. Arrange meatballs in cast iron pan.  Cover with marinara sauce and bake @350F until sauce is bubbling in the center.  
  4. Drop spoonfuls of ricotta cheese between the meatballs and return pan to oven for 10 minutes. 
  5. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve with a fresh sliced baguette!

Meatballs can be made ahead and refrigerated and put together with remaining ingredients later.  



4 comments:

  1. Oh those looks so yummy! I love that you mixed the sausage and hamburger together. Stay cozy over there!

    ReplyDelete
  2. In step 3, what's the oven temp? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cooking is not my thing but your dishes are soooo delicious! Happy week!

    ReplyDelete

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