Melt in the middle meatballs
https://www.coop.co.uk/recipes/melt-in-the-middle-meatballs
These juicy meatballs are perfect for weeknights, as they can be cooking while you’re at work
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Feeds
4
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Ready in
5 hours
30 minutes
Each serving contains
% of adult’s reference intake | Carbohydrates per serving : 74g
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Ingredients
- 500g pack Co-op 5% fat British beef steak mince
- 75g fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 Co-op British free range egg, beaten
- 125g ball Co-op mozzarella, torn into 12 pieces
- 1 tbsp Co-op olive oil
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 400g can Co-op chopped tomatoes
- 500g carton Co-op Italian passata
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Co-op Fairtrade light brown soft sugar
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 240g Co-op spaghetti
- Handful basil leaves
Method
- Put the mince in a bowl with the breadcrumbs, oregano and egg
- Season and mix everything with your hands, then shape into 12 balls
- Push your thumb into the middle of a meatball, then stuff the hole with a piece of mozzarella and reshape the meat around it
- Repeat until all of the meatballs are stuffed
- Chill in the fridge for 15 mins
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the meatballs for 2-3 mins, until they are coloured all over
- Remove from the pan and set aside
- Gently fry the onion in the same pan for 3-4 mins
- You can add the meatballs and onion straight to the slow cooker without searing them first, but it’s worth the effort if you have time
- Put the onion and meatballs in the slow cooker, then add the tomatoes, passata, red wine vinegar, sugar and rosemary
- Cook on low for 4½ hours
- Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and set aside
- Add the spaghetti to the sauce, making sure that it’s fully submerged — you may have to break it in half, depending on the size of your slow cooker
- Cook, covered, for a further 25 mins until the spaghetti is al dente, then return the meatballs to the slow cooker and warm through
- Serve garnished with the basil leaves
