These Ricotta meatballs are so flavourful and tender. Serve over spaghetti. If you are on a Keto diet you can use spaghetti squash or zucchini squash sliced as spaghetti, cauliflower rice. You can also cut them when cooled and use them as a layer in lasagna.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (depends on how intense you like the flavour)
• 1 cup frozen cut leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain and chop
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs (I prefer Italian bread crumbs) Note: Eliminate if on a Keto diet
• 1 (28 ounce) jar  of your favourite marinara sauce

Directions

1. Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic into onion and gentle heat. Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add ground beef, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, spinach, egg, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper with onion mixture until almost combined; stir in bread crumbs and continue to mix until thoroughly blended.
3. Roll into 1-inch meatballs (use about 2 tablespoons of mixture)
4. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil into the skillet, and over medium heat and brown meatballs on all sides. Remove meatballs and drain on a paper towel
5. Put meatballs back into the pan and pour marinara sauce over them and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, for about 30 minutes or no longer pink in the center.