Spiced Lamb Meatball Bake
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 700g tomato passata
- 1 tbsp harissa
- 2 cups grated mozzarella
- 2 tbsp oregano leaves
- Greek yoghurt & chargrilled garlic bread, to serve
Meatballs
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large brown onion, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp pine nuts, chopped
- 750g lamb mince
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 3 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ¾ cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp currants
- 2 tbsp oregano leaves, finely chopped
Method
- Preheat oven to 220°C fan forced. Lightly grease an 8-cup capacity ovenproof dish
- For the meatballs, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring for 3 minutes or until soft. Increase heat to medium-high, add pine nuts and cook 3 minutes until light golden. Transfer to a bowl, set aside to cool. Add mince, spices, tomato paste, breadcrumbs, egg, currants and oregano. Season, mix until well combined. Roll mixture into balls. Place onto a plate, cover and refrigerate 30 minutes if time permits.
- Wipe the frying pan clean. Heat the remaining oil in the large frying pan over medium heat. Cook meatballs in batches, shaking the pan for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Transfer meatballs to baking dish.
- Pour the passata into the same frying pan. Stir in the harissa, and bring to the boil over high heat, simmer for 5 minutes until reduced slightly. Pour over the meatballs. Top with mozzarella and scatter over the oregano leaves. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese has melted and edges of the sauce are bubbling.
- Serve with yoghurt and garlic bread.
Westinghouse Tips
- The meatballs can be made up to 2 days ahead. Place in a single layer in an airtight container lined with baking paper. Cover with wrap then the lid and keep in the fridge. Alternately meatballs can be frozen at this stage too. Allow to thaw before cooking.
- You can swap the lamb mince for beef, pork or a combination of pork and veal.
- When making meatballs and meatloaf, better to use regular mince (not lean) as lean mince tends to fall apart when cooking.
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