Classic Beef Meatballs

I decided to make a half recipe using the 80% ground beef suggested and another half recipe using ground turkey since my daughter was eating with us and she doesn’t eat red meat. Both batches were hits here. I was actually surprised since none of us really care for fennel, but it worked in this dish. We loved the flavor and moistness that the ricotta lent the meatballs. I liked that they were baked in the oven. Not sure it was necessary to heat the sauce before adding to the meatballs and returning to the oven, but maybe it gives the sauce a head start by not slowing the meatballs down, since it’s already hot when you add to the meatballs. Rubbing the olive oil on the pan probably also helped the meat not stick to my hands as I was rolling. I used panko for my bread crumbs, dried oregano, and store-bought pasta sauce. We had our meatballs over spaghetti. I did get a dozen meatballs with each half recipe. Baking time was spot-on.