½ cup fresh bread crumbs

½ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pinch red chili pepper flakes

1 egg

1 pound lean ground beef

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Toss bread crumbs, Romano cheese, garlic, parsley, black pepper, red pepper, and egg together in a bowl; mix in beef gently with your hands. Form beef mixture into meatballs roughly 1 1/4 inches in diameter; place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes; turn meatballs and bake until no longer pink at the center, about 5 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).