Cheesy Meatballs

30 mins active prep time, 5 servings

Ingredients (included in delivery)

- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 500g beef mince
- 1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped. plus extra to serve
- 1 1/2 tasty cheese, grated
- 400g diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups risoni
- 2 tbsp tomato paste

Ingredients (pantry items)

- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 1/2 cups beef stock
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed

————

In some cases, ingredients may be out of stock or unavailable when the shops pack your order. If this happens, we'll do our best to replace the items with high quality substitutions. If we're unable to find a replacement, we'll contact you to let you know.

What you'll need

Egg, olive oil, beef stock, breadcrumbs.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven

Preheat the oven to moderate 180°C (160°C fan forced).
2. Sauté onion & garlic

In a large flameproof casserole dish, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes or until soft.
3. Prepare meatballs

In a large bowl, combine the onion mixture with the beef mince, basil, breadcrumbs, cup of cheese and the egg. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix in well then roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls.
4. Cook meatballs

In the same pan, heat the remaining oil on medium heat and cook the meatballs for 4-5 minutes, turning regularly.
5. Add remaining ingredients, simmer then bake

Stir in the tomato paste and leave to cook for 30 seconds then add the diced tomatoes, stock and 1 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and add the risoni. Bring to a simmer. Transfer to the oven and bake while covered for 10 minutes.
6. Serve

Increase the oven temperature to very hot 220°C (200°C fan forced). Sprinkle the meatballs with the remaining cheese. Bake for a further 10 minutes uncovered or until the cheese melts. Serve with the extra basil.