Ingredients :
32 oz. marinara sauce
½ cup olive oil divided
Herb Ricotta Mixture
15 oz. Ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon garlic minced
1 teaspoon EACH: dried basil, oregano, parsley
Meatballs
1 yellow onion finely diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 Egg whisked
½ cup half and half can sub cream
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
½ cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup roughly chopped parsley plus more to garnish
1 teaspoon EACH: Italian seasoning, mustard powder, salt
½ teaspoon Pepper
1 lb. ground chuck 80% lean
½ lb. ground pork or ground sausage or veal
Instructions :
Stove Top Method (See notes for baking/crock pot methods)
Combine the Herb Ricotta mixture and set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet and add the finely diced onion. Soften for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Set aside and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine the egg, half and half, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, and ¾ cup of the herb Ricotta mixture. Add the cooled onions/garlic.
Season the meat with salt and pepper, add it to the large bowl and gently mix it with your hands until well-combined. (Don’t overwork the meat or it will become tough.)
Roll into 1 ½-inch meatballs and transfer them to the fridge for 15 minutes.
Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use enough oil to cover the meatballs almost halfway.
Brown the meatballs in batches, leave plenty of room around each so that you can easily rotate them without having to pick them up to flip them. Brown for about 1 ½ minutes per side. Use kitchen tongs to remove and set aside.
Remove excess oil from the skillet and add 32 oz. of marinara sauce. The sauce will thicken and reduce during cooking so I recommend that you add about ¼+ cup water as well so that the sauce doesn’t get too thick. You can do this now or later as you judge the consistency. (The ricotta topping thickens it more as well.)
Add the meatballs to the skillet and spoon the sauce on top. Cook for 30 minutes over medium heat, partially covered. Use a small cookie scoop to dollop the remaining herb ricotta mixture on top and allow it to heat through during the last 15 minutes.
Garnish with parsley and serve.