Ground Beef Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds ground beef.
• ½ cup of panko breadcrumbs
• ½ cup of Parmesan finely grated into small crumbles.
• 1 egg plus 1 egg white
• ⅓ cup of Italian Parsley – finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• 3 teaspoons paprika
• ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 small lemon zested and juiced (divided)
• 1-1.5 cups of Ricotta
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
• ½ bunch of fresh basil – divided. Half finely chopped (for meatballs), half chiffonade (for garnish)
• ½ tablespoon of chili flakes (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium-sized bowl, bring together everything but the ricotta, crushed tomatoes, lemon juice and basil for garnish. Season with 1-2 teaspoons of kosher salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper roll meat mixture, with your hands, into a ball slightly larger than a golf ball. Place on parchment paper and repeat until the mixture is gone. At this point, you can freeze meatballs and store for up to a month.

Heat a medium to large skillet on medium high heat. Cover bottom of pan with any neutral, high smoke point, oil. Once hot, brown all sides of meatballs (about 4 minutes). Pour in crushed tomatoes, reduce heat to medium/medium low and cover with lid. Allow meatballs to simmer.

Meanwhile, blend ricotta and lemon juice with a pinch of salt. Once smooth and creamy, remove and place in a small container and keep in fridge until ready to serve.

To serve: Smear ricotta on base of plate. Add meatballs and top with tomato sauce. Garnish with fresh parmesan and basil. Enjoy!

Tip:

Chiffonade is a technique that involves slicing leafy vegetables and herbs into thin strips or ribbons. It’s most used to describe basil.

If meat mixture sticks to your hand too much to form a ball, add additional panko breadcrumbs. Mixture should be tacky to touch but not difficult to handle.

If ricotta is too loose, there is likely too much lemon juice. You can fix by adding more ricotta or try adding lemon juice a little bit at a time to get desired consistency.

Ricotta mixture can be stored for up to 7 days in the fridge.