For the past couple of years, we’ve been using a food kit service. You place your order on line by Friday, and on the following Monday, you get almost everything you need for how ever many kits you’ve chosen that week. Salt, pepper, and small amounts of olive oil are about all you need to add.
With a lot of the kits, I do add stuff, like my own Sherry Peppers Sauce, but I also learn interesting things.
Such as, you can use Ricotta cheese in place
of egg when making meatballs!
Genius idea! And, if you use gluten-free panko crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs, they’ll, well, be gluten-free.
Bonus!
INGREDIENTS
Meatballs:
•10 oz ground beef
•1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
•1/4 cup Ricotta cheese
•1 tbsp shredded Parmesan
•2 garlic cloves, minced
•2 tsp dried parsley
•2 tsp dried basil
•1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt
•1 tsp black pepper
•1 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce*
•1 tsp garlic infused olive oil
Sauce:
•8 oz prepared marinara sauce
•1/2 cup pasta cooking water
•1 clove garlic, minced
•1 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce*
*No Sherry Peppers Sauce? No Problem! Simply add a bit of decent sherry (none of that “cooking” stuff) and a dash or three of your fave hot sauce, to taste.
Note: since this is a portioned food kit and ours is a small household, these amounts will make ten meatballs. Feel free to scale up, for more.
In a large bowl, stir the breadcrumbs together with the cheeses, garlic, and seasonings.
Note: for “zippier” meatballs, add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed pepper flakes.
Add the meat to the bowl, top with the Sherry Peppers Sauce and, using your hands mix until nicely blended.
Divide into ten meatballs (a cookie scoop works a treat here).
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the meatballs and cook, browning each side until slightly crusty.
Remove the meatballs from the pan and let rest.
Add the minced garlic to the meatball pan and cook on medium-high heat, stirring, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the marinara, pasta water, and Sherry Peppers Sauce and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a low simmer, then return the meatballs to the pan, cover, and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, another ten minutes or so.
Serve over pasta with fresh parsley and additional shredded Parmesan.
Tasty meatballs!