Chicken Ricotta Meatballs

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 0.5 whites onion
• 6 cloves garlic
• 0.5 teaspoons pepper
• 0.75 teaspoons salt
• 0.5 cups panko
• 0.25 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• 0.5 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 pound ground chicken

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

2. 2

   Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onion and garlic, season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook until soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

3. 3

   Combine panko and ricotta in a bowl and mix well. Add egg and season with remaining salt, pepper and Italian seasoning; mix to combine. Add ground chicken, and cooked onion and garlic mixture; mix gently to combine.

4. 4

   Shape into about 24 meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.

5. 5

   Bake meatballs in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 20 minutes; remove to cool.

6. 6

   To make the sauce, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

7. 7

   Coat the tomatoes with olive oil, then place cut side down in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Add onion and garlic cloves to the baking sheet and sprinkle everything with salt.

8. 8

   Roast in the preheated oven until tomato skins begin to shrivel and tomatoes begin to release their juice, about 25 minutes.

9. 9

   Remove and let cool slightly. Carefully discard the skins.

10. 10

    Place tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a blender and blend to your preferred consistency. Stir in Italian seasoning and serve with chicken meatballs. Garnish with basil and shaved Parmesan.