Ricotta Meatballs

1/2 onion, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1/4 cup packed chopped Italian parsley
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Saute onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir garlic into onion and turn off heat. Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl.

3. Stir ground beef, ricotta cheese, parsley, egg, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper with onion mixture until almost combined; stir in bread crumbs and continue to mix until thoroughly blended.

4. Roll about 2 tablespoons of mixture into a 1-inch ball for each meatball. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 20-30 minutes.