Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 500 g minced beef
  • 1 shallot (finely diced)
  • 1 garlic clove (peeled and minced)
  • 60 g breadcrumbs (I used half fresh and half dried)
  • 1 medium egg
  • 1 tsp Italian dried herbs (I used a mixture of oregano and thyme)
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • 250 g dried pasta (I used rigatoni)
  • 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes or passata (Ciara uses passata, but I used chopped tomatoes in mine as that's what I had in)
  • 75 ml beef stock (Ciara gives the option of using red wine or beef stock)
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 80 g grated Chedder cheese (Ciara uses 40g, but we like lots of cheese)
  • 30 g grated mozzarella
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • chopped parsley to garnish

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to 200C/400F
  • Start by making the meatballs. Place the minced beef, shallot, garlic, breadcrumbs egg, dried herbs and a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl and mix together to combine.
  • Lightly grease a large baking dish with the vegetable oil, then form the mince mixture into 12 meatballs (about the size of a golf ball). Place in the prepared baking dish.
  • Place the meatballs in the oven and cook for 15 minutes until browned.
  • Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the pack instructions (usually boil in plenty of water for approx 12-14 minutes). Drain the pasta once cooked.
  • Make the smoky sauce by mixing the tinned tomatoes/passata, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and a pinch of salt and pepper together in a jug or bowl.
  • Remove the meatballs from the oven. Nestle the cooked pasta in between the meatballs (I like to leave some bits of pasta sticking up to get a few crunchy bits) and pour over the sauce.
  • Sprinkle on the cheddar and mozzarella and place bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and started bubbling.
  • Top with a little freshly chopped parsley and serve with green veggies or salad.