Pesto and Red Pepper Italian Meatballs pack rich flavor into one bite. Serve them with marinara and spaghetti, on a hero sandwich, layered in lasagna or simply with a side of veggies.
In a bowl combine the ground beef, onion, red pepper, pesto, bread crumbs, ricotta, salt* and pepper. Mix together well.
Roll meatballs into 1 ½ inch diameter balls. You can freeze them or cook right away.
To saute meatballs on the stove, heat 2 teaspoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add a few meatballs (taking care not to overcrowd the pan). Cook, turning frequently to brown on all sides, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining meatballs.
To bake meatballs, heat oven to 350ºF. Place meatballs single file on a rimmed baking sheet or in a glass baking dish. Bake until cooked through, about 25 minutes.
Serve with marinara and spaghetti, try them on a hero sandwich, layered in lasagna or simply with a side of veggies.
Notes
• *If the prepared pesto you buy is salty, reduce the kosher salt in the recipe or eliminate it altogether. • If you freeze the meatballs to cook later, plan to defrost them before cooking, or defrost slightly and just bake, giving them several extra minutes of baking time to cook all the way through. • Nutrition facts are a close calculated estimate based on the weight of the ingredients. Try my other meatballs recipes: