Ricotta is the secret to tenderness in these all-purpose meatballs. Serve them plain, with a marinara sauce for dipping, or simmer the meatballs in tomato sauce for serving over spaghetti. Ground chicken is a great alternative and will yield cheesier tasting meatballs.

Pork and Ricotta Meatballs
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup/4 ounces whole-milk ricotta
• 1/2 cup/2 ounces grated Parmesan
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 1 pound ground pork

Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and use your hands to gently mix.

Shape the meat into 12 equally sized balls (about 2 1/4 inches in diameter). Arrange on a greased rimmed baking sheet.

Bake until golden and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Total time: 20 minutes, serves 4.

Tip:
Leftover meatballs freeze well; simply reheat in the oven at 375 degrees until warmed through (about 20 minutes).

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