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.
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3Form meat into roughly 2,5-3 cm meatballs (approx. 12 balls) and place in the 28 cm shallow braiser.
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4Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
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5Remove 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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6For 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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7Add 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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8Add 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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9Top the meatballs with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and place into the preheated oven.
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10Bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 10 minutes.
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11Tip: You can substitute the grounded beef and pork mixture with grounded lamb or Italian pork sausage.
