Name: Italian Cocktail Meatballs with Herbs and Ricotta
Prep time: P0Y0M0DT0H50M0.000S
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H45M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT2H35M0.000S
Yield: about 50 meatballs
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 3/4 pound ground pork; 3/4 pound ground turkey; 4 ounces (1/2 cup) whole milk ricotta; 1/3 cup minced flat-leaf parsley leaves; 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs; 1/2 medium onion, grated (about 1/2 cup); 3 tablespoons finely grated pecorino; 1 slice bacon, finely minced; 2 large cloves garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons milk; 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or lemon thyme; 1 large egg, beaten; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce (about 1/2 teaspoon); Freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 to 3 cups homemade or quality jarred marinara sauce; Small fresh basil leaves

Directions

Mix the ground meats, ricotta, parsley, panko crumbs, onion, pecorino, bacon, garlic, milk, thyme, egg, salt, Worcestershire, and black pepper, to taste, in a large bowl. Mix until just combined; don't overmix. The mixture will be pretty soft.
Using your hands, gently form mixture into 1 tablespoon small meatballs (about the size of ping pong balls). Put them on a large plate or pan; cover and refrigerate at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add about 1/3 the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs.
Drain off the oil and wipe out the skillet. Return the meatballs to the skillet and pour in the marinara sauce. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Serve the meatballs, skewered on a platter with a dollop of the sauce and a fresh leaf of basil. They can be serve warm or at room temperature.
The meatballs can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days, or frozen for up to 6 weeks.

Cook’s Note

- Be gentle when you're forming meatballs--too firm a hand makes them dense and tough. - These can be frozen cooked (in sauce) or raw; freeze raw meatballs on a cookie sheet, then transfer them to resealable plastic bags. Cooked-in-sauce meatballs can go into plastic containers.

Italian Cocktail Meatballs with Herbs and Ricotta

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Cook’s Note

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