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Katerina 4.75 from 8 votes
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Experience the melt-in-your-mouth magic of these ricotta zucchini meatballs, expertly made with a combo of cheeses and deliciously topped with warm tomato sauce. This easy zucchini recipe is the perfect solution for utilizing your summer zucchini harvest!
Also known as Polpette di zucchine e ricotta, these vegetarian zucchini meatballs pack a punch of flavor that’s so good and irresistible. Prepared with zucchini and ricotta, they are a light treat that combines nutrition and indulgence. Made from freshly grated zucchini, these “meatballs” offer a delicious way to incorporate more vegetables into your meals. The zucchini lends a light, delicate flavor to the meatballs while ensuring they remain moist and tender. Adding ricotta cheese provides the meatballs with a richer, smoother consistency and adds a delicious creaminess.
Why I Love This Zucchini Recipe
- Vegetarian-Friendly: This recipe offers a fantastic vegetarian alternative to traditional meatballs, making it a great choice for those who are vegetarians or simply looking to reduce their meat consumption.
- Nutritious: Zucchini is low in calories but high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making these meatballs a nutritious choice. (Source)
- Versatile: They can be served in various ways – over pasta, on a sub for a vegetarian meatball sandwich, or even by themselves as a hearty appetizer or snack.
Ingredients For Zucchini Meatballs
- Zucchini: I used 3 zucchini and grated them with a cheese grater.
- Yellow onion: Also grated
- Garlic
- Ricotta cheese
- Freshly grated parmesan
- Egg
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Seasoned salt & black pepper
- Italian Seasoning
- Chopped fresh basil
- Coconut oil for frying,you can also use vegetable oil
- Tomato sauce or pasta sauce
How To Make Zucchini Meatballs
- Grate zucchini and onions using a box grater or food processor. Mix in garlic.
- Bundle grated veggies in a cheesecloth or paper towel, twist and squeeze to remove excess water, then set aside.
- In a bowl, mix ricotta, parmesan, egg, panko crumbs, seasoned salt, black pepper, Italian Seasoning, and basil. Add the drained zucchini mixture, mix well.
- Form the mix into 12 golf-ball sized meatballs.
- Preheat the broiler. Heat an inch of oil in a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat.
- Cook the “meatballs” in batches in the skillet for about 5 minutes, until browned on all sides. Transfer them to a paper towel lined plate.
- Once all the meatballs are cooked, place them back in the skillet, pour tomato sauce over, and broil for 4-5 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and meatballs are fully cooked.
- Serve the meatballs over pasta, garnished with freshly grated parmesan and chopped basil.
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Drain the Zucchini: Zucchini has a high water content. To ensure your meatballs don’t become soggy, drain the zucchini well after grating. Use a clean dish towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
- Cheese Swap: If you can’t find ricotta or prefer a different cheese, you can substitute with cottage cheese. It has a similar texture and will still lend a nice creaminess to the meatballs.
- Bread Crumbs: The recipe calls for panko breadcrumbs, but you can also use regular breadcrumbs if that’s what you have on hand. If you’re looking for a gluten-free option, almond meal could work as well.
- Frying Oil: If you’re not a fan of coconut oil, you can use other high-heat oils such as canola oil or avocado oil.
- Serving Options: While these meatballs are delicious with pasta, they’re also great with my recipe for spaghetti squash for a low-carb option, or you could serve them with a side of polenta, risotto, steamed vegetables, or a fresh salad.
Proper Storage
If you have leftovers, transfer the zucchini meatballs to an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 1 to 2 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. They can be reheated in the oven or microwave when ready to serve them again.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Creamy Ricotta Zucchini Noodles
- Quinoa Zucchini Fritters
- Cheesy Zucchini Lasagna Rolls
- Apple Zucchini Bread
- Cheesy Bacon and Corn Stuffed Zucchini
Ricotta Zucchini Meatballs Recipe
Katerina | Diethood
Delicious zucchini meatballs with ricotta and parmesan cheese, topped with a warm and bubbly tomato sauce!
4.75 from 8 votes
Rate this Recipe!
Servings : 4
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Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Ingredients
- 3 zucchini, grated
- 1 small yellow onion, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ½ cup fat free ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for garnish
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
- coconut oil for frying, you can also use vegetable oil
- 2 to 3 cups tomato/pasta sauce
Instructions
Grate the zucchini and onions on the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor.
Place in a large bowl and stir in the garlic; mix until everything is well combined.
Transfer the zucchini mixture to a large sheet of paper towel or cheesecloth; wrap up the zucchini mixture and twist it tightly into a ball. Squeeze the ball over the sink or a bowl to catch all the water.
Unravel the cheesecloth and set the zucchini mixture aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, parmesan, egg, panko crumbs, seasoned salt, black pepper, Italian Seasoning, and basil; stir until everything is well combined.
Add the zucchini mixture to the ricotta mixture and continue to mix until thoroughly incorporated.
Shape the mixture into 12 golf-ball sized meatballs.
Preheat the broiler.
Add an inch of oil to a cast iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
In batches, add the "meatballs" to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, occasionally turning until browned on all sides. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
Once all the meatballs are done, add them back to the skillet and pour tomato sauce over them.
Broil for 4 to 5 minutes or until the sauce is warm and bubbly and the meatballs are completely cooked through.
Remove from oven and let stand a couple of minutes.
Garnish with freshly grated parmesan and chopped fresh basil.
Serve.
Notes
- Thoroughly drain zucchini after grating to prevent soggy meatballs.
- Cottage cheese can be used if ricotta is unavailable.
- Breadcrumbs: Regular breadcrumbs or almond meal (for a gluten-free option) can replace panko breadcrumbs.
- Oil Choice: Canola or avocado oil can be alternatives to coconut oil.
- Freezing: Leftovers can be frozen and reheated in the oven or microwave.
- To lower the sodium content, use part-skim ricotta, half the seasoned salt, low-sodium panko crumbs, and no-salt tomato sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 3 meatballs | Calories: 196 kcal | Carbohydrates: 28 g | Protein: 12 g | Fat: 5 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Trans Fat: 0.01 g | Cholesterol: 57 mg | Sodium: 1444 mg | Potassium: 861 mg | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 11 g | Vitamin A: 1047 IU | Vitamin C: 37 mg | Calcium: 211 mg | Iron: 3 mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: best zucchini recipes, easy zucchini recipes, zucchini recipes
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Categories:
- Dinner Recipes
- One Pot Meals
- Recipes
- Vegetarian
