Meatball Sliders

This recipe is from Cooking Light. It is so good! 2 sliders per serving.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 3  shallots, finely diced
• 1⁄3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1⁄4 cup  chopped fresh parsley
• 1⁄4 cup panko breadcrumbs, toasted (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
• 8  ounces  ground lean pork
•  turkey Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1  large egg
• 1 1⁄2 cups  lower-sodium  marinara sauce
• 12  slider  buns, toasted
• 12  basil leaves

Directions

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat; swirl to coat. Add garlic and shallots to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until shallots are softened, stirring frequently. Combine shallot mixture, ricotta, and next 8 ingredients (through egg) in a medium bowl. Shape mixture into 12 (1-inch) meatballs; flatten each meatball slightly.
2. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add meatballs to pan; cook 6 minutes, turning once. Add marinara sauce; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until meatballs are done. Top bottom half of each bun with 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce, 1 meatball, 1 basil leaf, and top half of bun.