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Bruno Loubet's meatball pasta bake recipe

Bruno Loubet's meatball pasta bake recipe

71 ratings

Create both a hearty recipe and family favourite with this meatball pasta bake recipe by Bruno Loubet. Serve with a side of salad or mixed vegetables for a balanced meal. See method

  • Serves 4
  • 20mins to prepare and 55mins to cook
  • 553 calories / serving

Ingredients

For the sauce

  • 400g (13oz) chopped tomato
  • 1½–2 small onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1tsp of chopped oregano
  • 1tbsp red pesto
  • 250g broccoli, chopped into even florets
  • 80g (3oz) grated cheddar
  • 20g (¾oz) grated Parmesan
  • 1tsp of butter, to be used for greasing
  • 4 tbsp olive oil

For the meatballs

  • 400g (13oz) pork mince
  • 4 white bread slices
  • 1tbsp parsley, chopped
  • ½tsp chopped garlic
  • 1tbsp barbecue sauce
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch pepper

For the pasta

  • 250g (8oz) penne pasta
If you don't have any Cheddar, try using another hard cheese

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    2305kj
    553kcal
    28%
  • Fat

    35g 49%
  • Saturates

    12g 60%
  • Sugars

    8g 8%
  • Salt

    1.4g 23%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 24.6g Protein 33.3g Fibre 5.2g

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Use the teaspoon of butter to grease a large gratin dish and set this aside until needed.
  2. Set a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, bring the garlic and onions to cook till coloured lightly.
  3. Add the oregano, chopped tomatoes and tablespoon of pesto to the pan. Leave to simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, and cook the pasta following the packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients for the meatballs together with a large spoon. Get the kids to muck in at this point to help shape the mixture into small balls that should roughly be the size of cherries.
  6. Add all the meatballs to the sauce. Turn it down to a low heat and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.
  7. Bring the broccoli to the boil in salted water for 2-4 minutes until slightly tender. Remove from the heat and drain the boiled water away and replace with ice water - this will stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
  8. Now for the big mix; add the meatballs, sauce, drained pasta, broccoli and 3/4 of the Parmesan and Cheddar into a large bowl.
  9. Pour the mixture into the pre-greased dish and get your little helpers to top it off with the remaining cheese.
  10. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the bake has a golden brown crust. Serve immediately.

See more Recipes for kids

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.

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