Ingredients
600g minced beef
2 cloves garlic
finely chopped, for meatballs
1 egg
lightly beaten
½ cup parmesan cheese
freshly grated (40g)
2 tbsp sage
chopped
2 tbsp parsley
chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
for meatballs
2 tbsp olive oil
for sauce
2 red onions
diced
2 cloves garlic
finely chopped, for sauce
200g bacon
diced
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
500g penne pasta
2 cups ricotta
(300g)
1 cup bocconcini
1 cup cheese
grated (80g)
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Large baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 deg C (180 deg C fan-forced).
- To make the meatballs; combine minced beef, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, egg, parmesan cheese, sage, and parsley in a bowl and season to taste. Wet your hands and roll the meat mixture into small balls.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, in batches.
- Meanwhile, to cook the sauce: heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat and cook onions until soft and translucent. Add the remaining 2 garlic cloves and cook for 1 min.
- Add bacon and cook until almost crisp. Tip in the canned tomatoes, lower heat and cook for 15 mins. Season to taste.
- Cook penne according to packet instructions. Drain, keeping 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and tip back into the saucepan.
- Carefully stir through the meatballs, ricotta, and bocconcini. Add the reserved pasta cooking liquid to thin the dish out and then tip into a large (8-cup capacity) baking dish.
- Sprinkle with the grated cheese and cook for 20 mins or until bubbly and golden.
Notes
Tip
Roll the meatballs so they’re about half the size of a golf ball.
Tip
These are fabulous served with a crispy green salad and crusty baguette.
