Beef meatballs with fregola sarda tostata

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 400 g minced beef
• 40 g white bread, fresh
• 50 g goat’s cheese
• 40 g Parmesan, freshly grated
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp allspice powder
• 1 tbsp oregano, dried
• 1 handful of parsley
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• e.g. salt and pepper
• 200 ml red wine (Chianti riserva)
• 150 ml water
• 400 ml chopped tomatoes (San Marzano)
• 2 bay leaves
• 110 g pasta (Fregola sarda tostata)
• Olive oil for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

Finely dice the white bread. Finely chop the onion, garlic clove, and parsley. Mix the ground beef with the white bread, goat’s cheese, Parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, and beaten eggs. Season with allspice, oregano, parsley, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Form the mixture into 13-14 meatballs. Preheat the oven to 170°C (top/bottom heat). Heat oil in a pan and fry the meatballs on all sides. They should brown but not be cooked through, as they will go in the oven later. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside, leaving any browning in the pan. Deglaze with the red wine, bring to a boil, and reduce slightly. Add the water and tomatoes, along with the bay leaves and the second tablespoon of lemon zest, to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the fregola sarda tostata, transfer the contents of the pan to a baking dish, place the dish on the middle rack of the oven, and bake for about 20 minutes. Check the oven occasionally to make sure there’s enough liquid, adding a little more if necessary. Then add the meatballs and cook for another 15 minutes. The fregola should still be slightly firm to the bite and the meatballs should be nice and fluffy.