recipes

Recipe

Serves: 4–6
Makes: About 20 meatballs
Total time: About 1 hour

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 1 pound ground veal
• ½ cup whole-milk ricotta, drain for at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator 
• ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs (if not, canned)
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme (or 1 TSP dried)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• Sea salt to season (1/2-3/4 tsp, depends on how salty the cheese is)
• freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped up
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 of water, maybe a touch if the sauce starts to thicken
• Handful of fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
• Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• A pinch of red pepper flakes, optional (but why not)

Method

1. Pre-Heat Oven:  Preheat to 425°F and line baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. The sauce. Heat the Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and season lightly with salt, cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the smashed up garlic and pepper flakes; cook for 30 seconds. Lastly, add in the tomatoes, water, and basil. Season lightly and simmer.
3. Meatball time: Soak the fresh breadcrumbs in milk in a large bowl. Stir and let stand for a few minutes.
4. Mix: In the large bowl with the breadcrumbs, add in the ricotta, egg, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper, and gently mix. Now add in the veal and mix with your hands just until combined evenly, do not overwork.
5. Make the meatballs. With lightly dampened hands, form about 15-20 meatballs that are roughly 1½ inch. Place the tray in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to let the flavors combined. Remove for 15 minutes prior to cooking. 
6. Bake. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until lightly browned and slowly transfer them into the sauce to finish cooking. Simmer for 15 minutes on a low simmer. Check the internal temp with a food thermometer to 160°F (the USDA’s recommended temperature for ground veal).
7. Serve. Before you plate the meatballs, give taste the sauce a final taste and adjust the seasoning if need be. The sauce tends to pick up some saltiness from the cooking meatballs and cheeses. Finish with freshly torn basil, extra Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a top with the best Extra Virgin Olive Oil in your pantry.