Meatballs Baked in a Rich Tomato & Aubergine Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Mains
Description
Tender meatballs baked in a rich tomato and aubergine sauce – this dish will soon be family favourite!
Ingredients
Meatballs
1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
1 onion, very finely chopped
1 Tbsp (15 ml) dried oregano
1 tsp (5 ml) dried rosemary
¼ tsp (1.25 ml) ground cumin
½ tsp (2.5 ml) smoked chilli flakes
500 g lean beef mince
1 slice bread, blitzed into breadcrumbs
1 egg yolk
Salt and pepper
Tomato and Aubergine Sauce
3 Tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
1 medium aubergine (brinjal), diced
1 tsp (5 ml) dried oregano
¼ cup (60 ml) dry white wine
1 x 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
Salt and pepper
Topping
About 150 g mozzarella, thinly sliced
¼ cup (60 ml) grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
Meatballs
Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
Heat the olive oil and sauté the onion, herbs and spices until soft and fragrant. Allow to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, mix the mince, breadcrumbs, onion mixture and egg yolk together until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Roll the mixture into balls the size of golf balls and line up in a greased medium-sized baking dish. Pop into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until nicely browned.
Tomato and Aubergine Sauce
Heat the olive oil and fry the aubergine and oregano until soft and slightly browned. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, then add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes. The sauce should be quite thick. Season to taste.
To Assemble
Spoon the sauce over the meatballs, top with slices of mozzarella and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Bake in the 200 °C oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
Top with fresh basil leaves and serve with pasta tossed with basil pesto.