Saturday, February 4, 2012

Rigatoni with Surprise Meatballs

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This one is a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

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My meatball recipe varies every time I make it, depending on what is in the fridge.  There is typically more vegetable in each ball than meat (a long-standing joke in our household) - almost always a finely diced onion, and usually a grated carrot and/or zucchini too.  Various flavourings (garlic, spices, tomato paste) and often porridge instead of breadcrumbs (I'll share that one with you - trust me, it's great!).  Today though,l I'm keeping it simple:
250g pork mince, a small diced onion, a clove of garlic (chopped), a couple of handfuls of breadcrumbs, an egg, and salt & pepper.
And then, the surprise...

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I've "diced" mozzarella sticks (Bega "Stringers", designed for the school lunchbox crowd), and will sneak a piece into the middle of each meatball.

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Form the meatball, then simply press the mozzarella into the centre, and pinch closed.  Make sure you can't see the cheese - it should be completely enclosed to prevent "leakage" during cooking.

I've made small meatballs here, too cook in the frypan.  I make bigger ones when baking.


A couple of minutes on medium heat in the frypan, then simmer for 10 minutes in the sauce of your choice (it's a weeknight, so this is Leggos stir-through, straight from the jar, with some cherry tomatoes for a bit of kick.)

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Yum.

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