Main INGREDIENTS
- Meat
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
For the sausage ricotta meatballs:
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 240 g (approx. 1 cup) ricotta cheese
- 50 g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup (5g) fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 500g ground beef and pork mixture
- Olive oil
For the basil pomodoro sauce:
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 11/2-2 can Italian crushed tomatoes (400 g)
- ½ cup (5g) fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and pepper
- 200 g mozzarella cheese (1 package), grated
- 50 g Parmesan cheese, grated
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Method
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1To prepare the meatballs, preheat the oven to 200°C. Add the breadcrumbs to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse until finely ground.
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2Place breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, fennel, oregano and pepper and stir to combine. Add the ground meat mixture and gently stir again. Form meat into roughly 2,5-3 cm meatballs (approx. 12 balls) and place in the 28 cm shallow braiser.
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3Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove meatballs from the oven and set aside on a plate. Let braiser cool for about 5 minutes and leave oven on.
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4For the sauce, return the braiser to medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn heat down to low and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook just until garlic is fragrant and nutty but not browning, about 1 minute.
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5Add the tomatoes to the braiser and stir. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
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6Add the basil and sugar, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the meatballs back to the braiser and stir to coat with the sauce.
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7Top the meatballs with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and place into the preheated oven. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 10 minutes.
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8Tip: You can substitute the grounded beef and pork mixture with grounded lamb or Italian pork sausage.
