Italian cocktail meatballs with herbs and ricotta

Ingredients:

• 350 g of minced pork
• 350 g of ground turkey
• 110 g (0.5 cup) whole milk ricotta
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• Half a medium onion, grated (about 0.5 cups)
• 3 tablespoons finely grated pecorino cheese
• 1 slice bacon, crumbled
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce (about 0.5 tsp)
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp. homemade or high-quality store-bought marinara sauce
• Small fresh basil leaves

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, ricotta, parsley, panko breadcrumbs, onion, pecorino, bacon, garlic, milk, thyme, egg, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper to taste. Stir to distribute the ingredients evenly, but do not pack the mince too tightly. The meat mixture will be quite soft.
2. Using your hands, carefully form small meatballs (about the size of ping-pong balls, about 1 tablespoon each). Place them on a large plate or skillet, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
   
   Note
   
   When forming meatballs, do not press the minced meat too hard, so that they do not become dense and tough.
3. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add about a third of the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and cook the remaining meatballs in the same manner.
4. Drain the oil and wipe out the skillet. Return the meatballs to the skillet and pour the marinara sauce over them. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
5. Serve the meatballs on skewers on a platter with a spoonful of sauce and a fresh basil leaf. They can be eaten warm or cooled to room temperature.
   
   

   Storage advice

   
   Meatballs can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days or frozen for up to 6 weeks. They can be frozen cooked, directly in the sauce, or uncooked. Freeze uncooked meatballs on a baking sheet, then transfer to resealable plastic bags. Cooked meatballs can be frozen in a plastic container.