This recipe was created by two heavy-hitters in the  New York City food scene, Daniel Holzman, Executive Chef at The Meatball Shop and alum of Le Bernardin and Fifth Floor (in San Francisco), and Michael Chernow who runs the front-of-house operations of The Shop and a graduate of the French Culinary Institute. Of course these meatballs are the best sellers in their restaurants located throughout NYC from the Upper East Side to Williamsburg and Chelsea. So you know right away this is probably going to be a winning recipe…spoiler alert, it is!

I always like a baked meatball recipe because you don’t have to worry about getting every side browned rolling them around in a pan–the oven does the work for you! This recipe differs from most meatball recipes that call for Parmesan by using ricotta instead which make the meatballs fluffier. I guarantee that you will love this recipe! Well, unless you are vegan/vegetarian or hate Italian food (I don’t think anyone hates Italian food though, right?) These meatballs are a perfect balance of moist but not mushy and packed with herb-flavoring. They’re my new go-to!

Classic Beef Meatballs
Recipe by: The Meatball Shop Cookbook, Daniel Holzman & Michael Chernow, 2011

Makes: about 1 dozen 1 1/2-inch balls

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp. dried
• 1 tsp. salt
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp. ground fennel
• 2 cups tomato sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the olive oil into a 9×13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.
2. Combine the ground beef, ricotta, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and fennel in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
3. Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.
4. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165°F.
5. While the meatballs are roasting, heat the tomato sauce in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often.
6. When the meatballs are firm and fully cooked, remove them from the oven and drain the excess grease from the pan. Pour the tomato sauce over them. Return the meatballs to the oven and continue roasting for another 15 minutes.