Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs with Creamy Tomato Sauce: How to Make this Delicious Meal

Italy is more than just pasta! Sure the pasta is great, but there is so much more to Italian cuisine than just the pizza and pasta. From the Florentine steak to the fresh Venetian seafood, there is a lot of variety that Italy’s cuisine has to offer. But, you might have to explore beyond the tourist traps to find them. One such place we found was Cibreo Trattoria in Florence that offered a menu that updates based on seasonal availability where you could try rabbit in a bolognese sauce or the tripe salad, or my favorite Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs.

These chicken and ricotta meatballs are cooked to perfection in a creamy and velvety tomato sauce and we opted to get them with a side of mashed potatoes. In fact, at Cibreo Trattoria, a side of pasta wasn’t even an option and that was fine with us because we hit the pasta hard when we first arrived.

The chicken and ricotta meatballs offered a departure from the heavy carb loading meals, but still had that uniquely Italian flair with the delicious sauce. I liked it so much, that I have decided to recreate it for you in this recipe today. So, transport those tastebuds to Firenze, Italia and join me for a delicious meal of these creamy and delightful meatballs. Buon Appetito!

Serves 4

Tools:

I am using an airfryer, but you could use your regular old oven if you so choose.

Suggested Wine Pairing:

Only the finest sangiovese will do to keep with the Italian theme!

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground chicken

8 ounces of ricotta cheese

1/4 cup of parsley, chopped

1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, shredded

1/2 cup of breadcrumbs

1/4 cup of basil, torn

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup of chopped tomatoes, canned works

1 cup of cream

3 tablespoons of oil

salt and pepper to taste

Extra parmesan and parsley for the pretty.

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven or airfryer to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, ricotta, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of parmesan, parsely, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and make meatballs by taking 2 tablespoons of the mixture and rolling it to the shape of the day, a ball.
2. Cook the meatballs for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
3. Meanwhile, begin making the sauce by heating up the oil and frying up the garlic for one minute. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. reduce the heat to low and stir in tomatoes and cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in another 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese and basil. Allow the sauce to simmer over low heat.
4. Once the meatballs are cooked add to the creamy tomato sauce. Serves great with mashed potatoes and top with parmesan and parsley.