Recipe Notes | Winter Warmer Meatballs

The Wolf 29cm skillet is a well loved, well used item in our arsenal of pans in our Felsted showroom. When it comes to pans, you just know quality when you feel it. The 29cm skillet is a heavy duty godsend in a busy kitchen and can be used on the hob and then in the oven to brown the top of whatever dish you’re preparing.

This pan was the perfect cooking choice for these quick and easy meatballs – serve with fresh tagliatelle and some grated parmesan; it’s a delicious, hearty winter warmer.

INGREDIENTS

• Meatballs made from 500g minced beef or buy ready-made e.g. Duchy Originals
• 1 small white onion, finely diced
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed and finely sliced
• 1 red pepper, blitzed in a food processor
• 1/2 tablespoons of oregano (dried or fresh)
• 400g tin of tomatoes/ passata 3 tablespoons Bomba! tomato purée (or use regular if you don’t have Bomba!)
• 250g of Mozzarella cheese (whole)
• A handful of basil Olive oil
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. In a large pan (we use the 29cm Wolf skillet) add a good tbsp of olive oil over a medium heat. Add the meatballs and brown them on all sides. When you first add them to the pan, give them a minute or two before you try and move them (use a metal fish slice) and don’t worry if there are brown bits in the pan – these all add to the flavour (just don’t let them go black!) If you don’t have a huge pan, don’t worry just use a smaller one and brown the meatballs in batches.

2. Once all the meatballs are all nicely browned, remove them from the pan to a plate. Then add the onion and garlic to the pan and stir until they are softened. This should take a few minutes. Next, add the red pepper which will be quite mushy after being blitzed (if you don’t have red, use orange or yellow). Stir and let the liquid reduce slightly. Then add the oregano, tomatoes and purée. You don’t need to have the exact ingredients for the base – you can use fresh tomatoes blitzed up if you have some to use up. You could use a jar of tomato and basil pasta sauce if that is easier and quicker – whatever you like really – it is a simple tomato and herb base so anything goes.

3. Once you’ve got the basis of the sauce all combined, season with salt and pepper and add the meatballs back in. Let it cook out over a low heat for 10 minutes.

4. While this is happening, pre-heat the grill to full surface grill on high. Check on your meatballs – the sauce should have reduced a little – if it is very reduced add a little hot water to loosen up. Next, turn off the heat and tear up the mozzarella cheese. Place under the grill until the cheese melts. This will take around 5 minutes. So while the pan is in the oven, cook the pasta in boiling water – we used the fresh tagliatelle which takes 4 minutes so it is super quick.

5. Once all the cheese is melted and the top is starting to brown remove from the oven, remember the pan handle will be exceptionally hot. We always wrap a tea towel around the pan handle once it is out of the oven just in case someone touches it not realising it is hot.

6. Tear some fresh basil over the top and add some parmesan for a final layer of depth.

Images: HM