Pork-And-Ricotta Meatballs With Roasted Garden Tomato Sauce

Let's Cook

1. Step 1.

   Position two oven racks evenly in the oven and preheat to 400°F. Brush two large rimmed baking sheets with olive oil. Spread the thickly sliced tomatoes in an even layer, dividing them evenly between the sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Place the 6 whole unpeeled garlic cloves in the center of one sheet.

2. Step 2.

   Roast the tomatoes and garlic until the tomatoes are fragrant and starting to brown, about 40 minutes, rotating the baking sheets once or twice to ensure even cooking. Check occasionally to prevent burning; if tomatoes brown too quickly, rotate the sheets.

3. Step 3.

   Let the tomatoes and garlic cool slightly until safe to handle. Squeeze the softened garlic out of its skins (discard skins) into a blender. In batches, transfer the roasted tomatoes to the blender and blend until smooth. For a smoother sauce, you can first push the tomatoes through a mesh sieve or food mill to remove skins and seeds.

4. Step 4.

   Pour the blended tomato sauce into a large saucepan. Stir in 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning with more balsamic and salt as needed. Set the sauce aside. (The sauce can be cooled completely and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.)

5. Step 5.

   Increase the oven temperature to 450°F. Brush a clean rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. In a large bowl, combine 1 pound ground pork, 1 pound ground beef, 1 cup ricotta cheese, ⅓ cup grated Parmesan, ½ small finely chopped yellow onion, 1 large lightly beaten egg, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon ground fennel, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined.

6. Step 6.

   Shape the mixture into meatballs about 2 inches in diameter, yielding about 28 meatballs. Space them evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until cooked through and well browned on one side, about 20 minutes.

7. Step 7.

   Using a silicone spatula, loosen the meatballs from the baking sheet and add them to the saucepan with the tomato sauce. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for about 20 minutes, occasionally gently moving the meatballs around to coat them evenly.

8. Step 8.

   Transfer the meatballs and sauce to a wide serving bowl. Garnish with additional grated Parmesan and chopped fresh basil leaves.