Meatball Pasta Bake Jamie Oliver Food

MEATBALL PASTA BAKE (PASTA AL FORNO)

Steps:

• Mix the grated onion, 1 crushed garlic clove, mince, breadcrumbs, milk, parmesan and parsley in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Mash the mixture together with your hands until combined. Mould the mix into small balls (about walnut-sized) with damp hands. There will be about 20 meatballs.
• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a deep frying pan and fry the meatballs for 6-8 mins until golden brown all over. Fry in batches if you need to - they don't need to be cooked through, just browned on the outside. Set aside on a plate.
• Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in the pan and fry the chopped onion for 5 mins until softened. Add the remaining garlic, fry for another minute, then add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 10 mins until thickened and the tomatoes have broken down. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta for 5 mins less than the pack instructions state, in boiling salted water. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Stir the meatballs into the tomato sauce, adding a splash of water if too thick, and bring to a simmer. Drain the pasta and tip into an ovenproof dish. Pour over the sauce and meatballs and mix well. Stir in most of the mozzarella, then scatter the remaining over the top. Bake for 15-20 mins until the cheese is golden and bubbling, and the top is slightly crisp.

QUICK SAUSAGE MEATBALLS WITH A TOMATO AND BASIL SAUCE, SPAGHETTI AND SWEET RAW PEAS

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan and add a few glugs of olive oil. Snip the sausages apart, then squeeze and pinch the meat out of the skins so that you get little meatball shapes - don't make them too big or they will take too long to cook. Try to get at least 3 balls out of each sausage. Don't worry about rolling them into perfect balls and making them look all fancy - rough and rustic is good! Put them into your pan. Keep frying and turning the meatballs until they're golden brown and cooked through.
• Meanwhile, put the spaghetti into a large pan of salted boiling water and cook according to the package instructions until al dente.
• To make your tomato sauce, heat a separate pan and pour in some olive oil. Add the garlic and the chopped basil stalks and move them around the pan for a couple of minutes. Put some small basil leaves aside for later, and sprinkle the rest into the pan. Add the tomatoes and season carefully with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a simmer, break up your tomatoes a bit more with a spoon and add a swig of balsamic vinegar - it's lovely for adding sweetness to the sauce.
• Add the herbs to the pan of sausage meatballs, tossing everything in all the lovely flavors. Cook for around 30 seconds. When your spaghetti is cooked, drain it and divide the pasta and meatballs between 4 bowls. Spoon over the tomato sauce. Sprinkle over the reserved basil leaves and serve with a handful of fresh peas per person in the middle of the table, so that everyone can have a go at shelling their own, and a little Parmesan for grating or shaving over the top.
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JAMIE OLIVER'S MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F
• In a large bown, mix together beef and pork.
• In a food processor, process the bread into crumbs, add to meat mixture.
• Add seasonings and egg, mix well.
• With wet hands roll mixture into balls.
• Warm a large saute pan over med. high heat.
• Add 3-4 tablespoons oil to the pan.
• Fry the meatballs until nicely browned on all sides.
• Transfer to a 9 by 13 baking dish.
• Chop onion and saute with garlic in 1 tbsp oil.
• Add tomatoes and about 1/2 cup torn basil and simmer 10 minutes.
• Pour over meatballs.
• Top with mozzerella and parmesan.
• Drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake until cheese is golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package, and drain.
• Serve meatballs with spaghetti.