Big Spicy Meatballs

[jglass]

Big Spicy Meatballs

2 pounds lean ground beef
2 pounds ground pork
1 medium onion, minced
2 slices soft bread, crusts removed and torn into pieces
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups ricotta


Preheat oven to 400° F.
In a large bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients, 1 cup of the Parmesan, and 2 teaspoons of the pepper.
Mix just to combine. Shape the mixture into 16 to 18 large meatballs (each should be about ¾ cup of meat).
Place on a baking pan and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta with the remaining Parmesan and the remaining pepper; set aside.
Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes in upper third of oven. Remove from oven and turn on broiler.
Spoon 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture onto each meatball. Broil 3 to 5 minutes or until the ricotta just starts to brown.
Serve the meatballs with jarred marinara sauce.