Slow-baked Meatballs

Serves 6 

Time to cook: 40 minutes, oven time 90 minutes 

Nutrition per serving: 

• Calories: 425kcal 
• Carbs: 14.8g 
• Protein: 28.8g 
• Fat: 26.2g 
• Fibre: 2.7g

Ingredients 

For the Meatballs 

• 250g British beef mince 
• 250g outdoor reared pork mince 
• 100g pancetta, finely chopped 
• 1 small onion, finely chopped 
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed 
• 60ml buttermilk 
• 50g fresh breadcrumbs 
• 1 tbsp dried oregano 
• Small handful fresh flatleaf parsley, finely chopped 
• 1 large free-range egg, lightly beaten 
• 45g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve 

For the Tomato Sauce 

• Olive oil for frying 
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced 
• 700ml passata 
• 75ml dry red wine 
• 1 tsp dried oregano 
• 1 tsp chilli flakes 
• 125g mozzarella ball, sliced 

Method 

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients. Season and mix. 
2. Form golf-ball-size meatballs by rolling the mixture in your hands, then transfer to a large baking tray. Repeat with the remaining mixture, cover and leave in the fridge to firm up for 30 minutes to 1 hour. 
3. Put the frying pan/casserole over a medium-high heat and add the olive oil. If all the meatballs don’t fit in the pan, fry half the meatballs until browned on all sides (8-10 minutes), then transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. 
4. Heat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2. For the tomato sauce, drain excess oil from the pan and put on a low heat. Add the garlic and slowly simmer for a minute. 
5. Pour in the passata and red wine and stir in. Add the oregano, chilli flakes and salt and pepper. Bring to a steady simmer and allow to cook for 5-6 minutes before returning the meatballs to the pan, turning to coat them in the sauce. Cover the pan with a lid and transfer to the oven. 
6. Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Towards the end of the cooking time, turn up the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7, dot the meatballs with the mozzarella and a little extra parmesan, then return to the oven. 
7. Serve the baked meatballs with spaghetti cooked in a pan of boiling water until tender, and sprinkle generously with grated parmesan.