Ingredients

Method

• 100 g fresh breadcrumbs
• 1⁄4 cup milk
• 600 g chicken mince
• 50 g pecorino, finely grated
• 1 T dried oreganum
• 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
• 2 T Woolworths sundried tomato pesto
• 3 T pine nuts, chopped (optional)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 T olive oil
• 2 x 400 g cans Woolworths crushed tomatoes with basil
• 3 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 balls buffalo mozzarella, torn

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 15 minutes, then squeeze out the liquid.

Mix the breadcrumbs with the mince, pecorino, oreganum, rosemary, pesto and pine nuts. Season to taste. Shape into balls 3 cm in diameter.

Heat half the olive oil in a large cast-iron pan. Cook half the meatballs for 1–2 minutes until browned, but not cooked through.

Cook the remaining meatballs. Place the meatballs in an ovenproof dish and pour over the tomatoes and vinegar. Bake for 10 minutes, then add the mozzarella and bake for a further 10 minutes.

Cook's note: The protein in meat makes it shrink when cooked, which can result in toughness. Prevent this by not skipping the eggs and binders such as breadcrumbs mixed with milk, which all help to keep meatballs moist.

Browse more meatballs here.