Classic Italian-American Meatballs

For the meatballs:

1 large egg

1/2 a cup of whole milk ricotta

1/4 cup of finely grated Pecorino Romano, plus extra for serving,

1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 a pound of ground beef

1/2 a pound of ground pork

1/4 cup of olive oil, plus more for drizzling.

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 garlic clove, finely grated,

1 24-ounce jar of passata or 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes.

Prepare the meatballs. In a large bowl, whisk to combine the egg, ricotta, Pecorino Romano, parsley, garlic, two teaspoons of salt, and one and a half teaspoons of pepper. With your hands or a spatula, mix in the ground beef and pork until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Form the meatballs. Using a standard soup spoon, scoop a, a scant quarter cup of the meatball mixture into the palm of your hand and use the spoon to scrape the mixture against your palm and shape it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture to form 12 meatballs. Make the sauce. In a medium saucepan, heat the tablespoon, one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about one minute. Add the passata and simmer on low until bubbling, four to five minutes. Season with salt and pepper. To cook the meatballs, heat the quarter cup of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add half the meatballs and sear until golden brown on all sides, four to five minutes. Transfer the browned meatballs to the prepared sauce and repeat with the remaining meatballs. Simmer the seared meatballs in the tomato sauce until they are cooked through and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve the meatballs with tomato sauce, more Pecorino, and a drizzle of olive oil.

The yield is four servings, or approximately 12 meatballs