Caramelised Onion Meatball Bake

• 600 gbeef mince
• 200 gpork mince
• 80 gbreadcrumbs
• 1egg, beaten
• 3garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1 tbspbrown sugar
• 400 gchopped tomatoes (tin)
• 1 tbsptomato purée
• 1 tbspWorcestershire sauce
• 1 tspdried oregano
• Salt & black pepper, to taste
• 150 gmozzarella, torn
• 50 gParmesan, grated
• 500 mlvegetable stock

Method

1. 1Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over low-medium heat. Add the onions, brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and deeply golden.
2. 2While the onions are working, tip the beef mince, pork mince, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, half the chopped garlic and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper into a bowl. Mix gently with your hands until only just combined; overwork it and the meatballs go bouncy and tight. Roll into even golf-ball-sized rounds; you should get around 20.
3. 3Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a stainless or cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in two batches; crowd the pan and the meat steams in its own juices instead of building that deep mahogany crust. Turn them to colour all sides, about 4–5 minutes a batch. They don't need to be cooked through; the oven finishes them. Lift out and set aside, leaving the sticky brown fond in the pan.
4. 4Tip the caramelised onions into the meatball pan over a medium heat and stir, scraping up the fond with a wooden spoon. Stir in the remaining garlic for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
5. 5Add the tomatoes, stock, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and oregano. Simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon. Taste and season; give it longer if it is still watery.
6. 6Nestle the browned meatballs into the sauce in a 23cm ovenproof dish so they sit half-submerged, then scatter the torn mozzarella and grated Parmesan evenly over the top.
7. 7Bake at 200°C (fan 180°C) for 20–25 minutes until the cheese is blistered and golden in patches and the sauce bubbles up around the edges. The meatballs should read 75°C for 30 seconds in the centre and the sauce should have reduced to a rich, caramelly glaze.
8. 8Rest for 5 minutes so the sauce settles and the cheese stops sizzling.

Per serving

kcal

619

protein

38.4g

fibre

3.4g

carbs

27.6g

fat

39.4g