Description
This Italian meatloaf with ricotta cheese (Polpettone alla Ricotta) is juicy, tender and delicious. It is the ultimate comfort food that’s perfect for family dinner.
Ingredients
For The Meatloaf
- Garlic cloves-5
- Onion (quartered)-1
- Fresh parsley-1/3 cup
- Ground beef- 2 lbs (1 kg)
- Whole milk Ricotta cheese- 15 oz (450 gm)
- Milk-1/2 cup, optional ( use only if ricotta cheese is too dry)
- Fresh grated Parmesan cheese-1 cup
- Large eggs (slightly beaten)-2
- Italian breadcrumbs-1/2 cup
- Worcestershire sauce-1 tablespoon
- Italian seasoning-1 1/2 teaspoon
- Dried oregano-1 teaspoon
- Black pepper-1/2 teaspoon
- Salt-2 teaspoons or as needed
For The Glaze
- Marinara sauce-1/2 cup
- Onion powder-1 teaspoon
- Italian seasoning-1/2 teaspoon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a roasting tray (with rack) with parchment paper.
- Add the onion, parsley and garlic to a food processor; pulse until finely minced, scraping down the sides if needed.
- In a large bowl combine the mixture with ground beef, eggs, ricotta cheese, Parmesan, Italian bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix just until combined. Don't overmix otherwise the meatloaf will be tough.
- Put the meat mixture into a loaf pan and form 7 x 9- inch loaf. Turn it out onto the prepared roasting tray with rack. Alternatively, you can form the loaf with your hands.
- Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Meanwhile, mix together the marinara sauce, onion powder and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven and spread the glaze over it. Bake further for 15 minutes or until cooked through. The meatloaf is done when the internal temperature reaches 160 F ( 71 C). Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve meatloaf over spaghetti pasta and top with pasta sauce (or marinara sauce), grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 min
- Category: Beef recipes
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Calories: 278kcal
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 312mg
- Fat: 13g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 138mg