Ricotta Meatballs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to keeping meatballs together? ›

Ricotta cheese is a great alternative for the eggs in meatballs. A good rule of thumb is one cup of ricotta cheese for every pound of ground meat. The ricotta cheese will make a good binding mixture.

Because meat shrinks when cooked, mince proteins are likely to separate and crumble unless bound together. Whether it's breadcrumbs or egg (or both), or simply salt, binding the mince is a crucial step in maintaining the softness of your meatballs while preventing them from falling apart.

You only need a small amount of egg – it's there only to help the cooked meatball retain its shape, and shouldn't detract from the meat's flavour or texture. Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry.

An egg is usually a good start, as that can help with the tenderness and texture, but the king of meatball binders is breadcrumbs soaked in milk (also known as a panade). Soaking the breadcrumbs first makes them pliable and soggy, which allows them to easily and evenly mix into the ground meat.

When it comes to adding liquid to meatball mixtures, milk is often used for its versatility, depth of flavor, and richness. Without the use of milk, you may be faced with a plate of dry meatballs. Milk adds a certain level of moisture that helps produce perfectly tender meatballs.

After all of the Italian meatballs I've been making lately, I consider myself a meatball expert. A good rule of thumb is to bake meatballs for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Mayonnaise. Eggs are a key ingredient in mayonnaise, so it makes sense that it can be a perfect substitute when you're out of eggs. Use 3 tablespoons of mayo as an egg substitute.

Substitute binders you can use instead of an egg

Being that mayonnaise is made of eggs, it also does a great job binding the meatballs as well as adding a creaminess to the texture. But if you're all out of fresh eggs or simply don't eat them, you and your meatballs are not out of luck.

What happens if you put too much breadcrumbs in meatballs? ›

Using the wrong amount of bread crumbs (or flour)

Bread crumbs are another popular binder for meatballs that can become problematic if used incorrectly. Adding too many bread crumbs to the mix will cause your meatballs to become loose and fall apart. The same applies to flour.

Pretzels. Pretzels are a great all-purpose substitute for bread crumbs. You can pulse them in a food processor until they're super-fine and use them as a binder for meatballs or meatloaf.

You want enough to keep the mixture stable and easy to handle, but too many will make the mixture overly soft. Excess eggs will also make meatballs tough and spongy, rather than toothsome and tender.

Commonly, fresh ricotta cheese can be made from cow's milk. However, it can also be made from goat, sheep, and water buffalo milk. Ricotta is made from whey, the liquid left over from the cheese-making process of other cheeses.

Ricotta cheese was traditionally made in Italy from the whey from sheep milk cheese, which was heated to denature and coagulate the whey proteins; the coagulated protein was scooped from the whey.

Meanwhile, combine ricotta cheese, egg, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Mix until a paste forms. Add 1/3 cup hot pasta water and whisk well. Repeat with another 1/3 cup pasta water.

Ingredients. Whey (from Milk), Pasteurised Cows' Milk, Salt, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid.