In this one pot wonder, herby, beefy meatballs are simmered to perfection in a deliciously smoky sauce packed with veggies. It’s amazeballs!
I first made this recipe when I went to stay with my auntie who was recovering at home from surgery. Auntie Sandra – she of the famous chicken soup fame – is the most amazing cook and I told her the tables had turned and I’d cook for her for a change!
Auntie’s got the smarts so she’d already got the shopping in by the time I arrived. She was also back at Slimming World so she suggested that I look through her extensive collection of Slimming World recipe books and see if there was something I could make that looked delicious and used the ingredients we had in the house.
I totally hit the jackpot with this recipe! It’s actually designed for the slow cooker, although the method is almost the same, but instead of cooking everything in one pan on the stove, once the meatballs are browned everything else (except the risoni) is chucked in the slow cooker and cooks on high for 3 hours.
I know cooking the risoni in a separate pan technically makes this a two pot recipe but let’s not split hairs. Once after a couple of glasses of wine, I put the risoni in with the casserole instead of a separate pan and it still came out fine.
I’ve since tweaked the recipe by adding an egg and some panko crumbs to the meatball mixture, making them deliciously tender and light – although if you’re watching your weight and don’t have eggs and/or panko crumbs, you can make the meatballs without them. I also use oil, instead of low calorie spray which is just not my jam. Auntie was thrilled though because without the tweaks, this recipe is Free on the Slimming World eating plan.
We like to serve this with a big green salad and as we’re definitely not slimming (even though we probably should be, LOL!) sometimes we even add some garlic or crusty bread on the side.
This dish will never win any beauty contests but it’s a definite contender for a popularity contest – we’ve been having it almost weekly since I got back from auntie’s and that was in January!
This meal is full of veggies, full of flavour and is so simple to make. It’s really freezer friendly too which means you can enjoy some for now and some for later. Your future self will thank you for it!
What’s your favourite way to enjoy meatballs? If I came to your house to cook dinner, what would you request?
Serves 4
Ingredients
FOR THE MEATBALLS
500g lean beef mince
1 cup (60g) panko breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
4 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
FOR THE SAUCE
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 tomatoes, quartered
1 large zucchini, coarsely grated
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
300g passata
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard powder
400ml boiling beef stock
300g orzo pasta
2 tablespoons basil, to serve
How to
- Put the mince, egg, onion, panko crumbs, dried oregano, dried basil, 1 tablespoon of the paprika and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl and season well. Mix together and with slightly wet hands, shape into 16-20 meatballs. Pop the meatballs into the fridge for 10-20 minutes to firm up.
- Add the oil to a large non stick saucepan or casserole pan over a medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook for about 6-7 minutes, turning occasionally until they’re browned all over.
- Add all the other ingredients except the orzo and basil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 50 minutes, stirring now and then and adding more stock if needed.
- About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, cook the orzo according to the pack instructions, the drain and stir into the pot. Stir in the chopped basil, scatter over the leaves and serve with salad and/or crusty bread.
